


Not Really, Not Quite [DISCONTINUED]

by narwalish



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bullying, But I'd rather not tag it, Drastoria, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Minor Violence, Multi, Reformed!Draco, There will be romance, Trigger warning: mentions of and references to miscarriages, Verbal Abuse, cutie patooties - Freeform, in case people think this fic will be pure romance, misunderstood character, which it won't
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-02 00:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narwalish/pseuds/narwalish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scorpius Malfoy has always been looked at differently to the other kids. He's been treated like a monster by the rest of the Wizarding World ever since he was a child, purely because his father made some irreversible mistakes during the Second Wizarding War. Draco Malfoy has tried his best to give Scorpius the best, as has his wife, Astoria, but he learnt the hard way that one must learn from one's mistakes. After an unpleasant encounter in Diagon Alley, Draco understands immediately how hard it will be for Scorpius once he starts at Hogwarts. He really IS nothing like his father, after all... Bullying, Abuse, Friendship and Possible Eventual Romance, what will Scorpius ever get out of being a social outcast? Or will someone choose to look past that?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The One Where Scorpius Is Struck By A Life Decision

As a child, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was told he could have anything he wanted. Absolutely any book, toy, game... Up until his 7th Birthday, he was happy with this. He was quiet, patient, loving, the perfect child. He appreciated everything his Mother and Father did for him. Until that day.

When he turned 7 years old, his parents decided to grant him a visit to Diagon Alley. Of course they had taken him other places before, to parks and to friends' houses, but he'd never gone to London before.

Scorpius walked through the long and winding roads of the capital city with his parents, until they came to an old and rusty looking pub. He could only just read the sign above the door. 'The Leaky Cauldron'. The 7 year old was expecting to simply be able to walk through the building without anyone noticing him. Scorpius hated being stared at, he'd always had a problem with being the centre of attention ever since he was a baby. He hated birthdays and formal events where everyone  _looked_ at him. Why did they have to look? Was there something wrong with him?

The second Scorpius walked through those doors with his Mother and Father, he knew something  _must_ be wrong with him. Everyone was looking at him. Some were even glaring. He hid behind his Father's leg, nuzzling his face into the soft fabric of the trousers, hoping to make the attention go away. But it didn't. They kept on staring. What was the matter with him? The child whimpered as he was pulled along gently by his hand, his mother quickly taking him to the other side of the pub. He turned to his father, the man he adored and looked up to so much. "Daddy...?" A sniff escaped him, catching more of his father's attention. The steely grey eyes looking down at him softened "Scorpius?" The tall blonde kneeled down so he was nearer the height of his son "are you okay? Did you not like the eyes?". The eyes. That's what he'd always referred to them as to his mother and father. The staring eyes. The looking eyes. The eyes on  _him._

The small boy felt tears fill his eyes as he nodded. "Why didn't they like me?" His Father looked up at his wife. He looked worried. They had a silent conversation, as Scorpius called it, when they didn't want Scorpius to know what they meant. But he wasn't stupid. He quite often knew what they meant. He could see it in their eyes. Scorpius could tell a lot from a person's eyes, which is one of the reasons he didn't like too many people looking at him. There were too many emotions hidden in there.

The silent conversation finished, and his father looked back at him. "Scorpius," the older man sighed, and the boy suddenly thought he didn't want to hear the rest. "Before you were born, there was a Great War. My family were involved in it. Your mother's weren't, though. When I fought in it, though... I wasn't along side the good guys." His eyes looked sad, and Scorpius felt his own eyes were looking sad too. "You were a bad guy?" His father nods. "But I didn't really want to be. I had to fight alongside people who I didn't trust in order to protect my family. I made the wrong decisions my whole life but I didn't realise until it was too late." He paused, allowing Scorpius to take in all the information. "I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. People think that, just because you look like me, you'll act like me. Prove them wrong." His father smiled at him, standing up straight and holding out his hand for his son to take. Scorpius soon found himself smiling back, taking his hand and ignoring the stares he got from passers-by. He  _was_  going to prove them all wrong. He would show them. He was going to make sure that Malfoys were thought to be the good guys too.

* * *

That day in Diagon Alley would be his first day of Trying. Leading his parents, they first went into a bookshop called Flourish & Blotts. Scorpius looked around the shop curiously, until a very tall lady walked over to him. "May I help you, Young Sir?" But she didn't seem the least bit polite. In fact, she looked down on him, in more ways than one. So, he just did as he normally did. He put on his widest smile, looked up at the lady and tried not to cringe under her stare. "Hello! Excuse me, but do you have any books on plants and flowers?" Scorpius  _loved_  plants. He couldn't wait to start Herbology when he went to Hogwarts. The woman looked surprised that he had answered so politely, and suddenly dropped her mean exterior. She smiled at him kindly. "Of- Of course sir..." And as she walked off to get the book, Scorpius looked out of the corner of his eye to look at his parents. He saw his father smile proudly at his son, then at his wife. His mother kissed his father gently on the cheek and smiled as well. The youngest Malfoy felt himself grin at that. He like when his parents kissed. It showed they love each other.

The lady came back with his book and his father paid for it, remaining calm and smiling as usual. She looked surprised at this as well. They stepped out of the shop and were walking towards a small ice cream parlour. He grinned up at his mother and father who smiled knowingly down at him. They knew him so well. As they stepped inside Scorpius noticed a small girl sitting at a table alone. She looked about his age. After telling his parents the flavour of ice cream he wanted, he walked over to her. She had bright red hair and sparkly blue eyes, and he had to admit with a blush that she was very pretty. "H-Hi..." He smiled slightly at her, hoping to get her attention. She turned to look at him and grinned. "Hi, there!" she waved at him, making his confidence come back slightly faster than expected. His smile widened. "I'm Scorpius..." he held his hand out to shake, making her giggle as she shook it "I'm Rose~ Where are your parents?" He nodded to the couple were currently still buying the ice cream. She pointed outside the window to a very pretty lady with bushy brown hair and a man who's hair matched Rose's, who were currently talking to a man with jet-black hair and were laughing about something. "They're talking to my uncle. He married my dad's sister" She smiled and turned back to him "I haven't seen you around here before, how old are you?" "I haven't been here before. I just turned 7." Scorpius grinned proudly to himself about his age, but the girl smiled "I'm turning 7 in May, that means we'll go to school together!" He grinned at this. He'd have a friend to go to school with! His dream was cut short, however, when Rose's father turned and saw them talking.

"Rosie!" He stomped into the parlour, his face going as red as his hair "What are you doing talking to him?!" Rose tried to calm him down, tears welling in her eyes "B-But daddy... He's my friend..." "Ronald! She can talk to who she likes!" Rose's mother came in too, obviously on her daughter's side. People were starting to stare, Scorpius didn't like that. "I don't want her talking to his lot, Hermione! He's a Malfoy!"

There it was. That disgust, that anger in Rose's dad's eyes. Aimed at him. Scorpius' father started to argue with him, saying his son had done nothing wrong. Both mothers attempted to calm their husbands down, both families eventually leaving the shop in anger.

* * *

_Strange.. How in that moment no one knew how momentous that rendezvous would be in terms of each child's opinions towards the world. How no one thought that their own thoughts could have such a negative effect. As if injected by a Hypodermic needle, the beliefs inscribed into each parent's mind would flow slowly into their child's thought pattern._

_Even then, I did not realise that hatred could be such an ugly mask on one's face. How unattractive a quality. I still think back now and see hatred clouding over the true love people held in their eyes. The sympathy they kept a hold of in the darkest of times. It makes me shudder. I feel that love is almost like a light. If love was physically blinding, then during the Great war I think that the Light side would overpower the Dark side. Hatred is as if someone has held a piece of paper over one's eyes, so that you can still see the light shining through._

_Even to this day, I feel like the Malfoys and the Weasleys had a thick sheet of paper separating them. They only needed a tiny miracle to tear that paper apart._

* * *

Despite that, Scorpius had enjoyed his day, but couldn't help feeling a little sad at the loss of his friend. He really liked Rose. He missed her. In the weeks that followed his adventure in Diagon Alley, his parents had arranged 'play-dates' with his friends, Timothy Nott and Mike Goyle. They were nice, they let him play with them, but as he sat there with them, he couldn't help but notice something. For years he had seen an odd glint in their eyes when they looked at him, and he could never quite put his finger on it. Now, though, he recognised it immediately. It was the same glint that so many people had had in their eyes when he visited Diagon Alley. Disgust. Hatred. Rose never had that glint in her eye, why did they? Was it him? Was it because of his father? Did they know what he had done, whereas Rose did not?

He rarely saw Mike and Tim anymore. He didn't want to. He only ever saw his cousin anymore. He didn't have that glint. Marc was his aunt Daphne's son. His uncle Blaise was his father's best friend at school. But he didn't get to see much of Marc either. His family lived in Italy.

Scorpius didn't like talking to people other than his parents and Marc. He didn't trust anyone. But Scorpius was a good boy, he was friendly, he was generous.

As a child, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was told he could have anything he wanted. Up until his 7th Birthday, he was happy with this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... Hello! This was originally on fanfiction.net, but I also started using this website so I thought (seeing as I got quite positive reviews) I may as well post it on here!! x3 hope you like it!


	2. The One With Scorpius' New Friend

Years had passed since then. Since  _That Day_. He had grown up a lot, but he was still a smaller than an average 11 year old, with silky soft platinum blonde hair and big, silvery eyes. He rarely spoke nowadays, unless it was to an adult who had asked him a question, his parents, or his cousin. He was still very polite, and he smiled a lot despite his shy personality. He always did as he was told, but his parents still encouraged him to try and make his own choices.

At last, the day had finally come. The day Scorpius had been waiting for for years. He grinned excitedly as he watched the tawny owl fly towards his house. "Mum! Dad! My Hogwarts letter is here!" The couple walked into the room and smiled at their son, sharing a glance between them that, in all his excitement, Scorpius found himself unable to read. The owl perched itself on the window sill, and the 11 year old allowed his mother to detach the letter from its leg. He didn't notice the owl fly away as he tore open the envelope.

His father smiled at the two, straightening the collar of his shirt. "It seems that a trip to Diagon Alley may be in order."

* * *

Scorpius had been to Diagon Alley multiple times since he was 7, but luckily none of those times were as eventful. As they walked through the bustling street he noticed there were a lot more kids his age around here now. He assumed they were Hogwarts too.

They went first to get his cauldron and scales, then for some ingredients. His father said to go and pick out an owl while he and his mother bought his books for him. Grinning, the young boy stepped into the owlery and looked around. He found that no particular owl caught his eye, except for one. A barn owl, slightly smaller than average, with a pale face and a tan brown body. She was beautiful. She was in a totally separate cage to the other owls as, the shopkeeper explained, she was unliked by them and was nipped at while sharing a cage. When his parents came back with his books, he pointed out the bird that had already taken to him, leaning through the bars of her cage to nip affectionately at his knuckles. He had decided on the name Aria for her.

Last on the list for Hogwarts was, of course, his robes. When in the shop, he was taken round the back for fitting, and Scorpius realised there was already another boy here. He was short, but not quite as short as the blonde, with spiky jet-black hair and bright green eyes. When he saw the shy boy, he grinned. "Hi! I'm Albus, what's your name?" Scorpius noted that Albus was without his parents too, as he replied with his name. "Scorpius, huh? Cool name." Another boyish grin crossed the boy's face as he looked at the youngest Malfoy. Scorpius was confused. No one had ever said they liked his name before. Then something else confused him. Albus' eyes didn't have  _the glint_  in them. They had a look of kindness, as if they were looking at a friend. The blonde grinned back. He liked this boy. As the lady started adding pins to Scorpius' robes, Albus started speaking again. "What house do you think you'll be in? All my family have been in Gryffindor so I'll probably be one too." The blonde thought about it. He knew for a fact that his father was a Slytherin, his mother a Ravenclaw. Then again, everyone else in his family had been a Slytherin, so maybe he was destined to be one too. After telling Albus this, the green-eyed boy frowned. "You never know. Neither of us may be in those houses. We might even be together in one for all we know." And with that, he started grinning at the blonde again. Scorpius hoped that was the case. His father had told him before that Scorpius wasn't suited for Slytherin, and that he didn't mind what house he was in. He really hoped he was in a house with Albus. It was nice having a friend.

* * *

His cousin Marc was also starting Hogwarts this year, and would be coming over from Italy to go. However, after a conversation with him about Hogwarts houses, Scorpius found he was not so keen on his cousin anymore.

_"So, what do you think?" Marc said as he showed Scorpius his newly decorated Green and Silver room. "E-Erm... It's nice!" The small blonde wasn't exactly going to admit it, but he didn't really like the colours of the room. They looked too harsh and eerie. Marc frowned as he turned, his dark eyes trained on Scorpius. "What's up with you? You're gonna be in Slytherin too, mate!" at this the young Malfoy felt himself cringe, telling his cousin that he wasn't sure he was going to be in Slytherin, and that he didn't feel he'd get in anyway, as his father had said. Marc scoffed. "I guessed as such. You're pretty wimpy. I doubt you'd ever really fit in much." He snickered "You'll probably end up befriending Mudbloods, you little Blood-Traitor."_

Scorpius felt tears spring to his eyes at the memory. He didn't want to be a blood traitor. He didn't want to betray his father. He just wanted to be himself. He didn't like judging people because of their blood. It felt wrong. His father didn't mind this at all. In fact, he encouraged Scorpius' way of thinking. The older Malfoy had been brought up to look down on Muggle-Borns, Half-Bloods and Blood-Traitors, and obviously did not want his own son to be brought up in the same way.

* * *

The last day of August arrived, and Scorpius felt himself get very nervous. What if no one liked him? What if he did badly in classes? What if the teachers also judged him for his surname?

Scorpius sighed. Too many questions were buzzing around his head, he was so confused... There was a gentle knock on his bedroom door, and the 11 year old looked up to see his father, standing and smiling sadly in the doorway. "You okay?" his voice was gentle, calming. "Yeah, of course.." Scorpius' voice cracked and he whimpered, finding he was very far from okay. His father sighed, walking over and sitting on the bed next to his son.

* * *

Draco Malfoy only then realised how little he was like his son. While they looked so very alike, Draco couldn't help but notice the subtle differences in their demeanours. As a child, Draco had always been loud and obnoxious, acting rudely to everyone who got way his way. Scorpius was calm, quiet and reserved, always so polite and gentle. He wouldn't hurt a fly, Draco however would constantly try and duel anything that moved. He sighed and chuckled at the memory, smiling down at his beloved son. "Nervous?" The smaller blonde nodded, wringing his hands together. "W-what if no one likes me?! What if-" Draco put a hand up to silence his only child. "Scorpius. While not everyone will like you, chances are that most people will. You will always remain to me one of the most likeable children I have ever met." And it was the truth. So many people had commented on what an angel Scorpius was. Kind and considerate, always willing to help out. It was one of the main reasons Draco didn't want his son in Slytherin, they would treat him awfully and he truly wouldn't understand their take on the world. Scorpius looked up at him hopefully. "Really? You really think so?" With that, Draco pulled his son into a hug. "I know so." And he did.

* * *

_When I look at the workings of love and friendship, I feel as if there are a million tiny cogs and wheels working inside everyone's head. I believe that only when you allow those cogs and wheels to stop, you have found true friendship. However, when you let them start moving at the same pace as someone else's, you have found true love._

_Love for a child can be seen as both of these. Love for a child is choosing the pattern at which their wheels work. Then, when the time is right, letting them choose for themselves. Serenity in a child-parent relationship is when the two sets of cogs work perfectly differently._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, people asked last time I posted this what the italics are going on about. They are the second narrator. I am not going to tell you who it is, but you are free to guess x3


	3. The One Where He Goes To Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot! Epically long chapter, was quite happy with this actually~

Scorpius watched his father pull his trunk down the stairs and he felt himself grin. He was going to Hogwarts,  _finally._  He gripped his mother's hand as they made their way towards the fireplace which would take them to Platform 9 3/4. They stepped into the large stone fireplace, and threw down the Floo Powder. Scorpius had never liked travelling via the Floo Network, but due to the intense amount of excitement within him, he hardly payed attention. He and his family stepped out of the slightly larger fireplace and onto the Platform, and the mere sight of the large red steam engine was enough to make the small blonde  _bounce_  in anticipation.

His father went off to put his bags in the storage compartment, and the 11 year old turned to his mother, who wore a small and sad smile on her face. He didn't even wait for her to open her arms before he hugged her. "I promise I'll write whenever I can..." He reassured her. He knew he was going to miss her a lot, from her calm, soothing voice to her gentle perfume to her chocolate brown curls tickling his face when the two embraced. "You'd better, otherwise your father may have a stroke if he doesn't immediately know what house you're in" she chuckled, and Scorpius found himself doing so as well.

"Hey, what's with leaving me out of the joke?" Scorpius turned his head to see his father smiling softly at the two of them. His mother chuckled rolled her eyes, "Because you  _are_  the joke, dear~" she grinned as the tall blonde kissed her cheek and turned to his son. "Don't I get a hug too?", and without a moments hesitation Scorpius was in the older man's arms, hugging his neck tightly. Only Scorpius heard him mumble as they embraced, "Make sure you're not in Slytherin. It's not good for you there." And with that he released the smaller boy, allowing the excited 11 year old hop on the train and join his school mates. He waved through the window at them, as the Hogwarts Express made its way from the station, and saw them wave until they were no longer in his view.

* * *

Scorpius made his way through the train. So far, every carriage seemed to be full up, and the blonde found himself immediately worrying about whether or not he'd find somewhere to sit. That is, until he bumped into a very familiar face. "Albus!" The green eyed boy looked up and grinned at him. "Scorpius! I was just wondering if I'd run into you, come and sit in our compartment~". With that, Scorpius was following the taller boy through the train, but couldn't help but ignore the harsh whispers being catapulted at him from each compartment he passed.  _The eyes_  were watching. He could tell.

The two boys eventually made it to Albus and his friends' compartment at the very end of the train, but upon entering, Scorpius couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. All eyes turned on him. Inside there was a tall, yet slightly chubby looking girl with dark brown hair, who seemed to be a couple of years older than himself, probably a second or third year. Next to her there was a boy who looked a lot like Albus, but with much more defined features, brown eyes and hair with slightly coppery hints to it. Then there was- Scorpius blinked. No, it couldn't be. Bright red, untameable curls, freckles covering her nose and cheeks, sparkling sapphire eyes. Her nose was buried in what looked like one of their school books. "Rose?" Scorpius let out before he could stop himself. She looked up and gave him a strange look. From her eyes, Scorpius could tell she had recognised him, but there seemed to be some sort of conflict in them too. Like she wasn't sure how to reply. When she did, however, it was vague. "Ah, yes..." She swallowed "Hello..." and with that, she buried her nose back into the book, and Scorpius also thought he had seen the tips of her ears go red. Albus, obviously, had never known about the two meeting, and enquired further as the two boys sat down opposite the other three. Scorpius explained about what had happened in Diagon Alley when they were seven, still uneasy about the eyes still on him, and went totally silent once he had finished his story. Albus blinked and looked over at the red head, cocking his head at her "You never told me that happened, Rose..." The girl shrugged, mumbling something about how 'she didn't think it mattered'. Albus chuckled and rolled his eyes, ever-cheerful, and turned back to the blonde. "So! I guess it's time for introductions, right?" He smiled and gestured to Rose, "You obviously know Rose Weasley. She's my best friend and my cousin on my mum's side," next he turned to the other girl "This is Alice Longbottom, her parents are friends of our's and her dad's Herbology professor and Gryffindor Head at Hogwarts". Scorpius smiled and waved at her, which she returned, obviously warming up to him. The blonde noted that she looked a lot nicer when she smiled, like her face was shaped to be that way. Next Albus nodded towards the final boy, "and this is my older brother James. Him and Alice are in third year". James gave Scorpius a searching look, taking in his appearance. After a while, the older Potter nodded curtly, soon moving his head so that he was staring out the window.

"This is my friend Scorpius Malfoy. He's really nice but he's shy, so don't be mean to him!" Scorpius flushed at this. Never before had any friend of his defended him from harshness, nor had they ever introduced him as their 'friend'. "A-Albus you honestly don't need to-" Albus put a hand up to silence the blonde. "I heard those voices following you through the train. I don't want these guys to treat you the same way!" the darker haired boy grinned at Scorpius, and the blonde returned it happily.

* * *

It was a rather uneventful train journey to Hogwarts, which included Albus and Scorpius alternately thrashing each other in a number of games of Exploding Snap, and the blonde meeting Albus and Rose's other cousins, one namely being a tall Gryffindor Third Year called Fred Weasley. Scorpius took a liking to him immediately. The boy had scruffy, chin length auburn hair, and dark, penetrating brown eyes. He also had a very bright smile, which didn't fade when he saw Scorpius. "Alright? You one of Albus' mates?" Scorpius, lost for words at Fred's forwardness and too nervous to reply, merely nodded in answer. This brought out a chuckle from Fred. "Shy, huh? Well, you seem like a good kid, I'll give you that. If Albus likes you, I do too. Then again, that kid could probably make an old hag seem like an amazing asset to the community." Fred laughed, giving a cheeky wink to Scorpius, which in turn made the small blonde laugh himself. "There we go! Got a laugh outta ya!" Fred smiled and ruffled Scorpius' hair "I like you, so consider yourself knocked off my pranking list~." Scorpius must have had a worried look on his face, as Alice omitted a small chuckle, making everyone in the crowded compartment jump. "Fred has a certain liking for pranking people, playing practical jokes on them and what-not. If you're knocked off his 'Pranking List', it's considered a great honour as it means you don't get pulled into one of his ridiculous schemes, no matter what." Alice chuckled again. "I'm surprised you're off it so quickly, actually. I thought first years were your favourite to play tricks on, Freddie?" She raised an eyebrow at Fred, with a slightly amused smile gracing her face. The auburn-haired Weasley chuckled. "Guess I've just taken a liking to the kid, eh?" And with that, he got up and left the carriage with a "See You Later" and a wave.

After Fred had left, the compartment went silent again. It stayed like this for a few minutes until James finally spoke up. "So, Scorpius. What house would you like to be in?" The third year boy sat up straighter, brown eyes boring into the blonde's. Scorpius sighed "W-well... I don't really want to be in Slytherin... No one seems very nice there... And my dad doesn't want me to be in that house either". James raised his eyebrows at that. "Really? Which of the other houses do you fancy then?" Scorpius couldn't help but notice those pools of chocolate brown staring back at him were now softening slightly. "Well... I don't think I'll be in Gryffindor... I'm not really that brave so... Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw seem nice". Alice grinned at him, obviously liking what she was hearing. "I'm in Hufflepuff, James is in Gryffindor. To be honest, we'd both be happy to have you in our house, and I agree with your dad. You don't seem like the type to be in Slytherin". She smiled kindly and looked out the window. "Better get changed, you two," she nodded to the two first year boys, "We're really close to Hogwarts now~". She laughed as the boys then scrambled quickly to change into their robes, but not before Albus cast Rose, who had already changed, an irritated glare and a comment about how 'she never reminds him about these sorts of things'.

* * *

_Acceptance is a beautiful thing, isn't it? It's having that total comfort and peace of mind knowing that people see you in a caring light. It's as if being brought into a new family, a new world of adventure. Feeling acceptance is perfection, but only when you can accept yourself._

_For example, say you have met the love of your life. You adore her (or him, for that matter), and you want to spend the rest of your life in the adoring arms of that one person. They love you back, and those butterflies in your stomach are going crazy. It's like they're fluttering right up to your mouth, saying all the sweet nothings you desire to say to your love._

_You have never felt love like this before. Never._

_You meet their parents, they accept you are not what they thought. Everything's perfect. But what happens when you don't deem yourself good enough? When you start to think that your own child will think you to be a monster._

_It's like the little butterflies have died, but remain in your stomach._

_Sometimes, reader, to be accepted, we must come to terms with who we really are._

_And I still struggle to come to terms with myself. But with her help, I'll get there in the end._

* * *

Scorpius stepped off the train with Albus, taking in his surroundings. Soon, however, he was greeted by the image of a huge man, far taller than Scorpius' own father, who was introduced to him by Albus. "Scorpius, this is Hagrid. He's friends with my parents, and teaches Care of Magical Creatures,  _and_  he's the gamekeeper." Hagrid looked down at the small blonde and smiled warmly, making his scraggly beard rise up slightly and his beetle-black eyes light up. "Alrigh', Scorpius?" Said blonde soon found himself unafraid by Mr. Hagrid, and held out a hand to him, smiling slightly. "H-hello, sir." Mr. Hagrid chuckled, taking Scorpius' small hand in his own massive one, shaking slightly. "Gotta say, Albus, ye sure know how to pick 'em, don' ye?" The giant chuckled slightly and started leading all of the first years into small boats which, when all were fully boarded, started to magically glide across the silvery surface of the great lake.

"Ye'll be getting yer first view of Hogwarts when we turn this corner," Scorpius heard Mr. Hagrid shout from his own boat, and as he looked up, the small blonde let out a gasp.

It was beautiful. The giant castle was surrounded by lakes and trees, and the glistening lights coming from each window made it seem like something out of a fairy tale. "Whoa..." Albus muttered from behind Scorpius "Its just as awesome as James said it was..." As they stepped out of the boats, Scorpius made sure to stick close to Albus, as he was sure he would probably get lost in the sea of other first-years that were all taller than he. As he looked around, he noticed the amazing portraits that had all started waving at the new students, the staircases that had started  _moving,_  and massive doors the lay ahead of them.

Before he knew it, there was an older woman walking towards them. She had greying hair pulled back into a tight bun, and was wearing emerald green robes. Scorpius could almost feel her piercing eyes staring right through him. "Good Evening. My Name is Professor McGonagall. I am Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Transfiguration Professor. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors, and join your classmates. You will be sorted into your houses, in which you will remain for the rest of your education at Hogwarts. You will share lessons with your house-mates, eat with them, and share a dormitory with them, so you would do best to get along with them. Please follow me". And with that, she pushed open the two giant doors that lay in front of them, revealing to them the Great Hall. It was full of students, watching the group of first-years pass. Scorpius shuddered. Too many people were watching. Above him was a stunning ceiling, painted so- the blonde blinked. That ceiling wasn't painted. "Its enchanted to look like the night sky," Rose whispered to Albus, "My mother read about it in  _Hogwarts: A History_ ".

As the group of first years huddled at the front of the hall, Scorpius saw Professor McGonagall stand before them, next to what the blonde identified as a very old and very scruffy hat. Not a moment later, the front seam of the hat opened wide like a mouth and, if Scorpius couldn't be any more surprised, it started to sing.

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_  
 _But don't judge on what you see,_  
 _I'll eat myself if you can find_  
 _A smarter hat than me._  
 _You can keep your bowlers black,_  
 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_  
 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_  
 _And I can top them all._  
 _There's nothing hidden in your head_  
 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_  
 _So try me on and I will tell you_  
 _Where you ought to be._  
 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_  
 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_  
 _Their daring, nerve and chivalry_  
 _Set Gryffindors apart;_  
 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_  
 _Where they are just and loyal,_  
 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_  
 _And unafraid of toil;_  
 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_  
 _If you've a steady mind,_  
 _Where those of wit and learning,_  
 _Will always find their kind;_  
 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_  
 _You'll make your real friends,_  
 _Those cunning folk use any means_  
 _To achieve their ends._  
 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_  
 _And don't get in a flap!_  
 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_  
 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

The whole hall broke into eruptive applause, while Scorpius thought about what the Sorting Hat had said. Did he really deserve to go in any of those houses? Professor McGonagall's voice cut through his train of thought. "Now, when I call your name, please come to the front to be sorted in to your respective houses. "Acery, Andrew." A tall boy with spiky brown hair made his way to the front, sitting on the stool. The hat was barely on the boy's head for two seconds before it had made its decision.

" _SLYTHERIN!_ "

There was a large round of applause, mostly coming from the Slytherin table. As Scorpius looked over, he couldn't help but notice they looked an unpleasant lot.

"Anderson, Maria"

" _GRYFFINDOR!_ "

The small girl practically ran towards the Gryffindor table the second the hat was off her head.

Soon they had gone through 'Blackmore, Ellie' (' _GRYFFINDOR!_ '), 'Brown, Amelie' (' _RAVENCLAW!'_ ), 'Clegg-Williams, Ellis' ( _'HUFFLEPUFF!'_ ), then all the way to 'Lewis, Zachary' (' _SLYTHERIN!'_ ), until finally...

"Malfoy, Scorpius"

There was a sudden loss of chatter as Scorpius slowly made his way to the front, he felt himself start trembling as the hat was placed on his head. "Another Malfoy, eh? I didn't even have to think before placing you father in Slytherin... Very ambitious, very cunning, but you're not like that, are you? You have brains, loyalty, kindness, charm... Not one to get into the dark clasp of Slytherin... You have Bravery up here too... But you have a fine head on your shoulders... Better be..."

_"RAVENCLAW!"_

 


	4. The One Where He's Not In Slytherin

_RAVENCLAW!'_

There was an eruptive silence throughout the Great Hall. As Scorpius stood up, he could feel a small weight pressing on his shoulders. Why was this happening? Shouldn't he feel relieved? Excited? He wasn't in Slytherin, but... He couldn't help but feel that the intense stares on him were somewhat accusing, insulting even. It was as if they didn't want him to be different, like he was born to be in Slytherin.

He slowly made his way towards Ravenclaw table, but as he took the first few timid steps forwards, he heard it.

A clap.

Several claps.

A cheer, here and there.

Scorpius turned, shocked, to see Albus, a grin plastered across his face and clapping at an enthusiastic speed. Looking across to the Gryffindor table, Scorpius saw James, Fred, a few other red-heads that he assumed were relatives of their's. They were all smiling, cheering, congratulating him. Allowing himself to smile, he turned to face forward again, making his way once again to the Ravenclaw table.

Sitting down on the long bench, he looked across to see them moving slowly away. Avoiding him, as if he were the plague. The small blonde sighed, and hoped that maybe they would come to accept him within the next few months. He couldn't exactly go a year without ONE friend in his house... Could he?

"Potter, Albus"

Scorpius spun around, waiting eagerly to hear the result of Albus' sorting. There was a painful wave of whispers crashing across each table, but they weren't like the whispers Scorpius received, they were excited. Intrigued. Awe-filled. It was almost awesome to hear the respect rolling off people's voices. Albus was a  _Potter._ The way people said it, you'd think he was a god. Well, his father  _did_ defeat the Dark Lord. He was the Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One. What was Draco Malfoy in comparison? A coward. An evil. A threat to society. Public Enemy #1. They didn't care for his side of the story. He was a  _Malfoy._

* * *

_Funny, isn't it? How when we look back on the way people say words, even one word, the way they say it can so easily be translated into what they really think. Even if they say two words the exact same way, an entire paragraph can be said about how they feel totally different about each. For example, I can remember getting a Floo message describing an argument Scorpius had found himself in the middle of. No, wait a moment. Scorpius didn't argue. Saying it was an argument suggests that both sides had an equal standing. I feel a more accurate way of describing it would be... A confrontation. Professor McGonagall had said that Albus Potter had stepped in to help Scorpius, but when I heard her say it, only two words stood out to me. Potter. Malfoy. She said two measly words. One measly tense. Anyone else would say I was over-thinking it, but from those two little names, I heard every thought in her head._

_Potter, she said. The boy who saved a friend's breaking heart. The boy who always helps out. Scorpius owes a lot to him. He could learn a lot from Albus. He's an angel disguised as our saviour's son. He's Harry Potter's son. You remember him, don't you? You must do. You are nothing compared to him, She thought._

_Malfoy, she said. He's a disgrace to our school. Always getting into trouble. Forgetful, shy, introverted. How he passed any exams I'll never know. Not raised well enough. He should be thankful. His father was saved by Albus', he should appreciate that. He doesn't matter in this world, she thought._

_And then, as she said my name, I felt the disgust lace her voice in sickly sweet tones. She knows nothing. Then again, how could she know everything? No one knows everything. Those who say they do cannot say what others think, believe, see, and why. They know not of the tortures so many went through in that war. They think they do, but they don't. They believe that the Death Eater's hearts were blacked with evil as if painted by soot. As if they had no life. No soul. But no, It wasn't like that. Not Really, Not Quite._


	5. The One Where Scorpius Isn't Alone

Scorpius watched as Albus made his way up to The Sorting Hat. The tension was killing him. Apparently the tension was also killing James, who appeared to be almost tearing Fred's jumper from the force with which he was currently gripping it. The hat was slowly placed on Albus' head, and thus formed a pregnant silence. From what Scorpius could see, Albus seemed to be concentrating very hard on what he was mentally saying to the grubby head-wear. A few minutes later, the seam opened once again, about to proclaim that single word that was on everyone's lips, the house that was home to almost every Potter and Weasley...

_'RAVENCLAW!'_

Scorpius paused. No. That couldn't be right. The blonde turned to see Albus, looking rather pleased with himself, walking towards the Ravenclaw table. He cast a knowing look towards Alice, who was seemingly chuckling from the Hufflepuff table, before looking over and grinning happily at Scorpius. The youngest Potter son sat down next to an extremely dumbfounded Scorpius, who probably looked more confused than anyone. The small blonde turned to look at Fred and James, both of whom looked surprisingly happy with this outcome. His eyes fell upon Rose, who appeared to look rather exasperated with Albus as she watched the two boys.

When he turned back to Albus, he saw nothing more than a promising boy. His father had been all these great things, and that was Albus' future. The grin that he held on his face as he shook hands with his fellow Ravenclaws, who still continued to cheer over their claim of the 'Chosen One's son, was professional. He was used to this, the shaking hands and making introductions, he had done this all too many times.

Scorpius heard Albus chuckle beside him as the sorting continued, as he settled in his seat once more. "What.. But... How did you...?" Scorpius had all to many questions for Albus, the most important one being "Why didn't it put you in Gryffindor...?"

"I asked to be in this house, couldn't have you being all lonely, now could I? She's quite pretty, isn't she?". Scorpius sat staring in shock at Albus as 'Moss, Louise' made her way to the front, "Ooh, maybe not. She seems a bit tall, don't you think?".

"You  _asked_ to be in this house?! You can do that?!"

"Yep. That's what my dad did anyway. Probably 'cause the hat was going to put him in Slytherin and Slytherins are a bunch of pricks-" Albus caught sight of Scorpius' unimpressed glare out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "What? They are. Dad said that the one who put him off them was Malfoy espe- oh." An awkward chuckle escaped him. "Sorry, mate." Scorpius rolled his eyes and smiled slightly "Don't worry about it. Mum's told me about how much of an idiot my dad was in school..."

* * *

_That was true. Draco Malfoy was a name many did associate with the word 'Prick'. Model student grades, excellent attendance, actually rather friendly and generous to those who knew him best, but still a Slytherin. Still an Idiot. Still someone not many people wanted to associate with. It's a shame, isn't it? Oh well._

* * *

"Weasley, Rose"

Scorpius and Albus' heads snapped to the front. The hat was placed on the girl's bushy, red head of hair and a silence formed once more. It was long, but not as long as Albus'. The seam opened and Scorpius could see a subtle smile on Rose's face as the hat cried out.

_'RAVENCLAW!'_

Albus grinned to himself, "Good ol' Rosie."

Rose moved over to them and sat down opposite. As if answering their questioning stares, she simply stated "Well, I couldn't exactly let you two go running amok on your own, now could I?". She cast a patronising yet caring smile at the two and rolled her eyes as they grinned happily at the red-head.

* * *

_Now, one would do best to remember this moment, as it is more important than one may think. The young Rose Weasley was a stubborn girl, very hot headed like her father, yet she constantly held concern for those two boys, much like her mother. Even after her first meeting with Scorpius, even after her father had told her to stay away from him, she still worried about what had happened to that sweet little blonde boy who she met in the ice-cream parlour. She never once held hatred for him, nor did she ever wish for anything other than peace with him._

_When she was graduating from Hogwarts, I spoke to her in private, and I asked her why she had placed herself in Ravenclaw all those years ago. In reply, she simply said that when she looked at Scorpius, she did not see a Malfoy, or a Greengrass, or a Black. She still saw him as that small blonde boy with the bright, watery eyes. And that's what worried her. That's what made her want to help him._

* * *

"Zabini, Marcetti"

Scorpius' head turned towards the sound of his cousin's name. There was no doubt in his mind over what house Marc would be placed in, but there was still a little kernel of hope in his heart. The boy sat upon the stool, and the hat cried out before it was even placed fully on Marc's head.

_'SLYTHERIN!'_

Scorpius sighed. He was happy for Marc, he really was, but he still felt some slight disappointment as his cousin, smirking gleefully at his friends, made his way over to the Slytherin table.

Albus nudged Scorpius' shoulder "Hey... Who's that then? Your  _boyfriend_?" Albus snickered and waggled his eyebrows suggestively before Rose kicked his shin under the table, "Ouch! What was that for then, Rose? I was just asking..."

"That's his cousin, you idiot. Their mums are sisters. Daphne and Astoria Greengrass?". The blonde blinked, "How did you know that...? We don't even look like them..."

"I know that, but I found some old copies of the Daily Prophet from before we were born, and I saw an announcement for the wedding of Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass. It mentioned how it was strange that a pureblood couple would wait so long to get married, when Daphne's younger sister, Astoria, had married Draco Malfoy so many years earlier."

Scorpius was surprised, to say the least, but also rather flattered that Rose had remembered that particular article that mentioned his parents.

"Attention, Please." Everyone's heads turned towards Professor McGonagall's voice and silence surrounded the room. "I would like to make a few announcements. First of all, welcome to our new students. We hope you will be very comfortable here. Next, I would like to stress that all access to the Forbidden Forest is  _still forbidden_ , although many students still seem to forget this." She cast what looked to be a knowing but rather tired glare at James and Fred, who looked to be hiding their wide grins with innocent gasps. Fred even went so far as to place a hand on his heart and exclaim " _You wound me, Professor!_ " in a mock offended tone, which managed to earn a number of laughs from fellow students, as well as a few well-disguised chuckles from the teachers.

With a roll of her eyes, Professor McGonagall continued. "I think that is an acceptable amount of talking for the time being. Now, without further ado. Let our evening meal commence!" And with that, the tables filled with some of the most beautiful food Scorpius had ever seen. It probably didn't help that he was rather starving after their long journey to school. He starting piling his plate with food, eating happily without even looking up from his plate. After starting on his second helping, he looked up to find two very shocked faces watching him eat. "What...?"

Rose was the first to reply "B-But... You're so small... Like, you're not just short, you're skinny too... Yet you eat so much..."

"Yeah Scorp, you could be a Weasley, with that appetite..." Albus exclaimed, earning him another kick under the table from Rose. Scorpius blushed. "Well... My parents have always made me food whenever I wanted it, and the house-elves always have as well... So I guess I just got used to eating a lot. As for the lack of weight or height gain, I guess I just got my mum's metabolism and my dad's short gene..."

Albus snorted into his cup "Short gene...?". Scorpius grinned "Yeah, my dad was really short for his age until the summer before third year. That's when he grew into himself a bit and lost all the puppy fat that made him 'cute', as my mum constantly tells me".

They continued to talk throughout dinner, only stopping when Rose and Scorpius felt they weren't eating enough, and Scorpius had to admit that he was actually quite looking forward to his new school year.

Once dinner was over, Professor McGonagall sent them all off to their dormitories after saying a few last-minute rules, and Albus chuckled as Scorpius yawned loudly as they left the Great Hall. "You know Scorp, you're kinda cute when you're tired. I guess the intimidating skills your dad has didn't quite get to you, huh?" Scorpius tried to muster up some sort of a glare, only succeeding in giving them some puppy-eyed pout, making Rose laugh. "Not quite there yet, Scorp. Looks like you're stuck with the short genes for now." The blonde felt his face burn again as they stepped into the Ravenclaw common room.

The blue and gold tapestries gave the room a rather regal atmosphere, and the starlight shining through the windows, and glittering across the towering bookshelves which circled the room, left Scorpius in awe. "Girls' dormitories on the left, boys' on the right. Good night." The blonde blinked as the prefect made his way up the right staircase, and felt his own arm being tugged towards it by Albus. After the two boys bid goodnight to Rose, they walked up the winding staircase and into their dormitory. The four-poster beds surrounding them glistened in the moonlight as the blue curtains encircling each bed swayed with each gentle gust of wind.

Before he fell asleep, he listened to Albus' soft snoring, and the deep breaths of the other boys, and smiled to himself. He felt proud that he wasn't in Slytherin, and he could be with his new friends here. He just wanted people to realise that his father probably felt the same way as him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hey there! I'm sorry for the delay! I've been trying to write in my free periods at school alongside reading various books (The Fault in Our Stars *sob*, The Perks of being a Wallflower *sob*, and The Book Thief *sob*), and not to mention trying to battle through my murderous A-Levels!.  
> \----  
> I can just imagine Draco being short when he was younger, okay! XD I also kind-of made a reference to his description in the films, as I do hold a special love for Tom Felton -swoon- (yes I do know that Prisoner of Azkaban was filmed like 2 years after Chamber of Secrets, but I can always imagine Draco being this cute and slightly chubby-cheeked little kid who's really intimidating to others, but then he comes back in third year and he's taller and much better looking.
> 
> I added a little description of the Ravenclaw common room, and I kinda made it up. I just like this description more x3 (Plus I couldn't remember how Rowling described it... Woops!


	6. The One Where It's Levi-O-sa

"Scorpius..."

"Scorpius..."

"OI! SCORP! WAKE UP!"

Scorpius awoke with a large jolt. "Wh-wha...?" Albus was sitting on his bed, hair wet but fully dressed.

"Breakfast is in half an hour, mate. You need to get up if you want to eat!" The blonde jumped out of bed, albeit a little groggily, and stretched. He looked around the room and frowned. "Where is everyone...?"

"The other guys already went downstairs. We're getting our timetables as well, so I assume they just wanted to get down early." Scorpius sighed. He was far too tired for all of this. Trudging his way into the bathroom and quickly washing, he groaned at the oh-so-difficult task of pulling his uniform on. He was  _not_ going to find his first day easy in any shape or form.

Once Scorpius was ready, the two boys made their way down the spiral staircase, only to be welcomed by the sight of a very frustrated Rose. "Where  _have_  you two been? I was waiting for so long I actually went down to get breakfast, then came back up afterwards, and you  _still_  weren't ready!"

"Well  _sor_ -ry, Rosie, but I'd like to see  _you_  try and wake up sleeping beauty here." Scorpius blushed, "Sorry Rose...". The aforementioned red-head sighed. "It's fine. You can't help it. Here." She tossed him a napkin, which inside held three slices of toast, all buttered and spread with a thick helping of strawberry jam. Scorpius blinked, "Th-thank you..."

"You mentioned last night that you love strawberries. I thought I had better put it into practice", she smiled softly before holding out a piece of paper to him. "Your timetable. All three of us have the same timetable, so at least you'll be okay", she passed a pile of toast to Albus, as well as his timetable. Albus grimaced, "Ergh. First thing. Charms with the Slytherins"

Scorpius had to wonder for a moment what Rose had meant. 'You'll be okay'? Was there some kind of danger threatening him? Was there something wrong?

These thoughts continued to plague his mind while they walked to Charms. The two boys scoffed the last of their toast before stepping into the large and airy room. A tall man stepped out from behind his desk at the front of the classroom. "Good morning class! I'm Professor MacMillan!" His bright smile shone about the whole room. "Now, I have a bit of a seating plan for you all, and it will stay that way until I have gauged your skill levels! Now..."

Professor MacMillan placed them all in their seats, and Scorpius was lucky enough to be sitting next to Rose, with Albus behind them. "We're going to just be starting off with some simple levitating spells, okay? Now, repeat after me-  _Wingardium Leviosa"_ The class repeated, and Professor MacMillan seemed happy with them all. "There is, of course, a wand movement to go with the incantation. A simple  _swish_  and _flick._ " This practice continued on for a while, before feathers were placed in front of each student. "I would like you all to try levitating these feathers, okay class?" Professor MacMillan smiled once more before allowing them to continue.

" _Wingardium Leviosa!"_ Scorpius blinked and looked over at Rose, frowning. The red-head seemed to be struggling somewhat. "U-uh, Rose...? I-I think you're saying it wrong..." "Huh..?" "You're saying it like 'Levio- _sah',_ but it's meant to be said 'Levi- _oh-_ sa'..." Rose scowled as Albus started quietly shaking with giggles. "Fine then. You try it, Malfoy." Scorpius blinked, but turned back to his feather. " _Wingardium Leviosa_ ", with a swish and a flick of his wand, he watched as the feather gently floated up towards the top of the class room. "Perfect! 10 points to Ravenclaw, Miss- Oh." Professor MacMillan looked over to the source of the incantation, expecting to see Rose, but instead saw the red-head with her wand on the table, watching Scorpius levitate his feather. "Ah, well. Good Work, Mr Malfoy. Carry on." Scorpius blinked, allowing the feather to touch back down onto the table once more.  _  
_

Rose didn't seem to look as annoyed with Scorpius as she had at the beginning of the lesson. In fact, she seemed more sympathetic towards the blonde. "Don't worry about it, Scorpius. He just expected it to be me because of my mum, that's all..." Neither Albus nor Rose managed to make Scorpius feel any better about the situation by the end of the lesson.

Not enjoying the large crowds of people, Scorpius opted to spend a small while longer packing his bags after the lesson. Albus and Rose had gone ahead, and Professor MacMillan had left, yet Scorpius still felt a slight uneasiness in the room, as if he was being watched. He sighed, turning to the door, only to be welcomed with the sight of it being closed. Frowning, he stepped forward with the intent of opening it. "Where do you think you're going, blood traitor?"

* * *

_'Blood traitor' is an awful term, isn't it? Many wonder what the point of it is. Others wonder why it is not used more often. I, personally, have only used the phrase a couple of times in my life, and my mouth still feels dirty from the use of it. Why is it so important to demean witches and wizards for purely believing in equality? Where is the use in giving the best of our kind a humiliating insult?_

* * *

Scorpius turned, gulping audibly, "M-Marc... What are you doing here?" The boy before him chuckled, "I just fancied a little chat with my dear cousin, you know? I wanted to get a few things  _straight._ "

Scorpius stepped back with each step forward Marc took, his breath hitching. "I don't want _you_ , or any of your little  _blood-traitor buddies_  anywhere near me, you got that? You don't  _look_  at me, you don't  _talk_  to me, and if you do..." Scorpius squeaked as Marc's fist slammed against a neighbouring desk, "You're gone. I don't want anyone in Slytherin knowing I'm even _related_  to you. If they find out, that's my reputation over. So, what are you gonna do?"

Scorpius gasped, tears stinging his eyes as he struggled to articulate. "L-l-l-leave-". His shoulders trembled as Marc began to wrack with laughter. "Oh yeah. forgot you get all stuttery when you're freaked out" the blonde whimpered, "I d-d-d-don-" "Suuure you don't Malfoy. You're really just a massive wuss, aren't you? Well, I best be off. Stay out of my way, Remember that, traitor." And with a swift kick to the blonde's shins, Marc left the room.

Scorpius slid down the wall, his body shaking with silent sobs. Checking the time, he shuddered. Transfiguration had started 10 minutes ago, and he knew Professor McGonagall wouldn't be happy. Picking up his bag and rubbing harshly at his eyes, he made his way to his lesson.

* * *

The silence filling the classroom upon Scorpius' arrival was deafening. Everyone, including Professor McGonagall, had turned to look at him. "Please explain to me why you are so very late, Mr Malfoy", her voice was icy, her stare even colder. "I-I-I..." Scorpius chewed at his lip, struggling to find words. "G-g-g-got l-l-l-lost" his stutter was still prominent, earning him a few snickers throughout the room. A sigh came from the older woman. "Very well. Please take your seat next to Mr Potter..." Still aching from where Marc kicked him, the blonde slowly walked over to his seat, thankful to be sitting next to Albus. As he expected, Scorpius was bombarded with harshly whispered questions from Albus the second he sat down. "What happened, mate? You're limping and," the raven-haired boy squinted, "have you been  _crying_?" Scorpius sighed, pulling out his books and parchment and, not wanting to bother with battling his stutter, opted to simply scrawl down in the corner of his sheet, ' _I'll tell you after class_ '.

The class continued on without incident, with Scorpius remaining quiet unless spoken to, and when it was time for break he near enough jumped out of his seat. Grabbing his bags and the two cousins, he walked quickly towards the library. "S-Scorpius hang on!" Once inside the library, he turned to his two friends, whimpering slightly. The two had looks of concern written across their faces, and both sat down and listened patiently as Scorpius blurted out what had happened to him after Charms.

Once he had finished, Albus was the first to speak. "I wouldn't expect any less from him, I sat next to him in Charms and he was looking at you pretty murderously when you levitated that feather- where did you learn to do that, by the way?" He stopped talking once Rose glared at him, and Scorpius cringed when the red-head turned to him. "You  _need_  to tell Professor McGonagall, this is _bullying_ , Scorpius. She can put a stop to it." Scorpius gave her a look, "You're joking. You're joking, aren't you? It's obvious she hates me, what's the point?"

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. They all knew Scorpius was right. It was obvious that, no matter how hard he tried, his father's reputation would always leave room for people's judgemental opinions of him. So, in the end, what  _was_  the point?


	7. The One With Professor Longbottom

The rest of Scorpius' day proved to be considerably uneventful. In hindsight, this could be seen as a good thing, but he still would have at least liked  _something_  nice to happen to him on his first day. His last lesson was Herbology, and he had to admit he was excited for it. Stepping into the greenhouse after lunch made him just that little bit happier, and his two companions caught on.

"I take it you're a plant man, Scorpius?" Rose chuckled next to him, a little pleased to see him perk up. "Oh, definitely. My dad built me a green house at the end of our garden when I was 6, so I guess being in here reminds me of home~" Once they had all huddled around the centre bench, a man walked into the greenhouse. He was tall, lean but with a slightly rounded face, with slightly faded scars covering his tanned forearms. As he grinned broadly at them all, Scorpius couldn't help feeling he looked familiar... "Before you ask, yes, that's Alice's dad", Albus leaned over to him and whispered, obviously having seen Scorpius' intense focus on the man.

"Good Afternoon, students! I'm your Herbology teacher, Professor Longbottom, only to be called by  _that name"._ He cast an amused glance over at Albus and Rose, both of whom sent him back embarrassed grins. Professor Longbottom moved to the front of the green house, and Rose took the chance to whisper to the blonde, "he knows we're going to call him 'Uncle Neville' at some point". She chuckled slightly, turning her head back to the front.

Scorpius blinked, chuckling slightly, and turned his head to the front as well. The lesson went rather well, with Scorpius managing to answer every question Professor Longbottom asked, which he actually seemed rather pleased about. By the end of the lesson, Scorpius was happy, and that made Rose and Albus perk up considerably as well.

When the class was over, Scorpius was packing up his books, and talking to his two friends, only to be alerted by Professor Longbottom. "Scorpius. Can I speak to you a moment, please?" Scorpius nodded, nervously, and made his way over to his Professor, Albus and Rose not far behind. "I would like to speak to Mr Malfoy _alone_ , please, Rose and Albus" he smiled, amused, at the two cousins nodded slowly and made their way out of the greenhouse, "We'll see you in the common room, Scorp!" He heard Albus call to him, but he was too nervous to reply. What was Professor Longbottom going to say to him? Had he done something wrong?

The tall Professor leant against his desk and turned to the blonde. "So, Scorpius. How are you finding school? You've made friends with Albus and Rose rather quickly, yes? That's good." Scorpius was unsure of what to say, "Y-yes Professor... Uhm, School is good... It's only my first day, so..."

"Ah, yes, do excuse me. I was rather vague. What I mean to say is, are you enjoying yourself? Has anyone been giving you trouble? Anyone?" Scorpius froze. Swallowing, he simply said, "N-no, sir. There's no one giving me trouble." Frowning, Professor Longbottom sighed. "Well, if there is, be sure to tell me, okay? I want to make sure you're enjoying yourself here."

Scorpius blinked. He didn't understand. Why did he seem to care so much? "If you're wondering why I'm caring so much about you, as opposed to treating you the same way as many of my colleagues are," the blonde noticed, with slight shock, that there was a hint of sourness in Professor Longbottom's voice. "It's because I understand what you're going through. I may not have gone through it myself, but I do know that many people will be judging you as if you are your father. I, personally, do not think that is the right way to handle things. I know your father has changed. He really is not the man I went to school with."

Scorpius blinked "You went to school with him? You knew him?" Professor Longbottom chuckled, although there was a slight grimace on his face. "Oh, I knew him alright. No offence, but he wasn't exactly the kindest guy to me." The blonde winced. That was always one of the first things he heard about his father. "But when I spoke to him yesterday, on the station platform, he was extremely polite. He even had the decency to apologise to me." The man before him smiled, already answering the questioning glance Scorpius was giving him. "Yes, I spoke to him. He was putting your bags in the luggage carriage, and he was getting a couple of angry glares from the other people on the platform when I bumped into him. In fact, he looked rather relieved to see a familiar face."

"When we were chatting, he did mention to me that you have a great interest in Herbology, and that definitely shone through today." Scorpius blushed. "Don't be embarrassed. I know how it feels", he said, chuckling, "I had a huge interest in Herbology when I was your age. Pretty much the one class I was ever successful in." He scoffed, making Scorpius giggle, "Yeah, I was never that good in school. Bad grades, a bit ditsy, but brilliant at Herbology."

"May I ask, Scorpius, have you had a Potions class yet?" the blonde shook his head, "I can forsee you doing well in that. With your knowledge, I can see Professor Todd liking you." He smiled, and Scorpius felt himself getting a little more hopeful about this school year.

* * *

After his conversation with Professor Longbottom, Scorpius made his way up to the common room to meet Rose and Albus. Upon arrival, he noticed the two were sitting on the sofa, gently petting an owl that looked suspiciously like- "Aria?" Upon hearing her name, the owl turned and flew over and perched herself atop the blonde's shoulder, nuzzling at his cheek and nipping at his knuckle when he put a hand up to pet her.

"Is that her name? Oh, Scorpius, she's just gorgeous!" Rose seemed mesmerised by the little owl, giggling when she gave a small hoot in reply to the red-head's compliment. Albus rolled his eyes with a mutter of what sounded suspiciously like ' _Women'_.

"She brought a letter for you, mate. Probably meant to give it to you this morning at breakfast, but you weren't there." Albus handed him the small envelope and Scorpius examined it. Expensive parchment, his name etched beautifully on the front in navy ink, and the family crest printed on the back. Only his father would go through that much effort to make a  _letter_  look pretty.

"It's probably from your mum. That handwriting looks pretty girl-", "That's my dad's handwriting, Albus." Scorpius couldn't help sounding a little amused.

"Oh. Well. That's awkward. Maybe you should- uhm, open it?" Rolling his eyes, Scorpius gently opened the envelope and unfolded the parchment. Once he had read the letter, he couldn't help smiling a little.

"Let's go down for dinner, eh?" The blonde smiled, pushing the letter into his pocket as he made his way out of the door with his two friends.

* * *

That night, before he fell asleep, Scorpius found himself rereading his Father's letter one last time.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_We heard that you were sorted into Ravenclaw and we are so proud. Your Mother is rather happy to have a son in the same house that she was in, and I'm just glad you weren't in Slytherin. I knew you wouldn't get put in with that lot._

_I hope you are making lots of friends, I saw you talking to Albus Potter on the train. Stick with him, his father is a good man._

_I also hope you managed to find your little friend on the train. You know who I mean, you seemed pretty fond of her when you were talking to her in Florean's when you were younger. She is Albus' cousin after all, so you'll probably run into her. Don't let what her father said get you down. I don't care who you make friends with. As long as they make you happy, I don't mind._

_Please talk to Professor Longbottom if you have any problems, or owl your mother or I. I don't want you to suffer in silence. Please try and trust Longbottom, I may have been horrible to him when we were kids, but I hold a lot of respect for him. He was braver than I ever was in that war._

_We love you, don't ever forget that._

_Be true to who you are._

_Love, Father._


	8. The One With The Eventful Potions Class

The next few months would appear to be, to the outsider's eye, rather uneventful. This may be due to the fact that the outsider's eye would not have noticed the subtle torment that Scorpius Malfoy received from a majority of Slytherins, and from a few other houses as well. Rose and Albus had shown great concern for the situation, but Scorpius brushed them off. He didn't want his new friends getting pulled down into his dilemmas when they had so much more of their minds. Walking through the corridors of Hogwarts was like entering a minefield for the small blonde, with taunts being thrown at him from every direction, books being pushed out of his arms, and even being slammed against the walls when he gave too much of his attention to the floor.

He was doing well in his lessons, but his grades were most certainly dropping. He was finding it hard to concentrate on his studies, what with the constant bullying from his fellow students, and it was starting to concern some of his teachers, if not surprise others. One of these teachers was Professor Todd, his Potions Mistress. He had remembered Professor Longbottom mentioning her, but had not expected her to be so...

_Scorpius stepped into the Potions classroom with Rose and Albus, chewing nervously on his bottom lip. Was Professor Longbottom right? Would this Professor really like him as much as was expected? His thoughts were jumbled as a woman made her way to the front of the classroom. Bright brown eyes scanned them all as she tied her long, dark gold locks behind her head. Quickly scanning her notes, she looked up and grinned at them all, a bright smile that made Scorpius feel ever so optimistic about this lesson._

_"Good Afternoon class! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! I'm professor Todd, your Potions Mistress! I hope we'll have a great time together!" A bubbly New Zealand accent erupted from the red lips, and Scorpius felt himself soothed at her words as she explained the lesson. "Now, I'm sure you would all expect me to put you into pairs and let you get on with it, but I think that I can get a better grasp on your skill when you work separately, so everyone, put your pens away and get your books out, we're doing a practical!" There was a small blast of noise as the chatter arose again and books were slammed carelessly on tables. "Great! Now, we're just going to be working on a really simple potion today, which will require minimal ingredients, but it requires precision! You must pay exact attention to the recipe or the potion won't work! Now..." She explained the Colour draft, saying that a simple drop on your tongue could change the colour of one's hair. Albus laughed out loud, saying that Rose and Scorpius could use a few drops, examining their vivid and extremely obvious hair colours._

_When Professor Todd allowed them to start, Scorpius began straight away, doing exactly as the book said, until he got to a certain instruction. Calling over the Professor for help._

_"Yes? uh..." The woman looked unsurely over the register, searching for his name. Blinking, he replied, "um, Scorpius Malfoy, miss..."_

_"Ah! Lovely! Thank you Scorpius, sorry about that. I'm not the best with names..." He mentally frowned she didn't know he was a Malfoy by looking at him? But he looked just like- "So how can I help?" Being jerked back to reality he blushed. "W-well, uh... The Instructions say to cut the beetle to get all the juice out, but surely it would be better to crush it, right? Then you get better results because you get more- mph!" Professor Todd was smiling softly at him, a hand over his mouth. "Say no more, don't repeat yourself. See how many other people can get it." She stood up, Towering over the small blonde, "You just learnt the first lesson of Potions, Mr Malfoy. Initiative."_

The rest of that lesson had gone swimmingly, as his common sense had gotten him 10 points to Ravenclaw, and he managed to get another 30 purely by answering questions. But now, only a couple of months later, his grades were becoming abysmal.

It was the last Potions lesson before the end of term, and Scorpius hurried to the door before- "Mr Malfoy, could I please speak with you for a few minutes?" He flinched, and sighed, turning back to the front of the class room. Albus and Rose gave him hopeful looks, and he nodded to them, forcing a smile. " I'll see you at dinner" Rose's gaze hardened, "That's what you said yesterday, Scorpius. Promise us you'll come to dinner. Eat something.  _Please_." Her voice was strained, like her voice would crack at any moment. The blonde stared at the floor for a moment before meeting her eyes. "Okay. I promise. I'll see you two later."

The two looked unconvinced with his reply, but didn't push him anymore. Smiling at him again, they walked out of the classroom. Professor Todd had turned her back to neaten some papers, and Scorpius wasn't expecting (but should have done, nonetheless) a foot to place itself in his path. Crying out, he fell forward, hitting his head on the cold tiled floor. The boy would had tripped him, and his friends -Scorpius hadn't seen their faces- erupted into fits of laughter until Professor Todd turned to glare at them. "King! Green! Selznick! Two weeks of detention for all of you! And how about I take away 20 points from Gryffindor from each of you. I'll take 50 from you, King, as you were the one who tripped him." Scorpius couldn't help but noticed how much scarier the usually cheery New Zealander was when she was angry. "You'll all be receiving owls with the details of your punishment. Now get out of my sight." She scowled at the three of them as they walked out of the classroom. To his own horror, he heard one of them mumble haughtily under his breath, "Little blood traitor deserved it anyway".

Tears welled in his eyes as Professor Todd helped him up, all sign of her anger now gone. "Are you okay, Scorpius? Bloody hell, I shouldn't have turned my back, I knew there must be a problem. Model students' grades don't just drop after a coupl'a months..." She rushed around, looking for something as his head spun. She sat down next to him again, holding up a small vial. "Down it in one. It's bitter, but it should stop your head spinning." He took the vial from her and opened it, frowning at the clear liquid but sighing and quickly downing it. It burned at his throat and he choked on it slightly, but he felt the effects immediately. His vision regulated and he sighed, his tongue still burning. "Here. This should help," Scorpius blinked as a couple of warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk were thrust onto his lap. His mouth watered and he looked over at his potions Mistress. "You always seemed like the kind of kid with a sweet tooth. Eat up, before they go cold~" Scorpius chewed his lip, but quickly dug in. It was the end of lessons for the day, and dinner wasn't for another couple of hours.

"Lord, kid... You're acting like you haven't eaten in days..." Scorpius froze as his finished the last of the cookies, whimpering as he licked his lips. "They were really good cookies, miss..."

Professor Todd sighed, getting up slowly and taking the plate and glass from him. Going behind her desk she rummaged through her drawers before pulling out what looked to be a very old photo album. Sitting down next to him once more, she flicked through the pages until she got to a certain one. Placing the album on his lap, the photo that she was showing him depicted a girl, very pretty with long blonde hair, she looked around 9 or 10, in a pink bikini at... the beach? A man and a woman stood behind her, whom he guessed were her parents, but one of the main things he noticed about it was the fact that it was- "A muggle photo..." He looked over at her, and she was smiling slightly. "Yep. That girl is me. I was 12 in that picture. Don't look it, do I? That was the summer after my first year in Hogwarts. I got placed in Slytherin." Scorpius looked over at her in shock. "Yeah, that's right. A muggle-born in Slytherin, pretty rare, I know. Seems that they didn't take lightly to an 'intruder' in their house.

"I was bullied. Badly. I got tripped up, kicked, hit, ignored... Oddly enough, the ignoring was the worst part. No one talking to you, no one listening... I didn't have any friends, and I never ate anything. Even when I did, I threw it up. But a Guardian Angel came to save me. She rescued me. She may have been a few years older, but she was my best friend." She smiled airily at him, watching him as he listened intently. "She was one of the few who listened to me. She wasn't in Slytherin, but she was still always there.

"She explained how she had fallen in love with a Slytherin, a few years older, but she loved him for who he was. She said that, although he had made mistakes, he had changed." She chuckled at the memory, letting all her thoughts of her worst time return. "She told me how to see the best in people, despite their faults... And she taught me well. I started eating again and I even managed to make some friends. I became healthy, and stayed healthy. Even after that Guardian Angel left Hogwarts to go and marry the man of her dreams, I knew she was there.

Scorpius smiled at the story, feeling even more hopeful about his situation. But she wasn't finished.

"I decided to research you a little bit. See what there was that was so bad about your family," Scorpius felt his face contort in horror, "Sorry for prying, but I couldn't help but notice you looked a little shocked when I didn't know straight away who you were. At first I thought you were just a bit spoiled, but then I dug deeper. Your dad wasn't exactly the most loved person in the world, was he?" Scorpius flinched, knowing she must have read something about his adolescent hatred for muggle-borns. "But, then again. She always told me that he had changed..." Scorpius' head snapped up to look at her. "Who said...?"

Professor Todd grinned. "Well, when you are researching a family, the first thing that comes up is the marriage announcements. So I looked at the pictures of your parents and... I found a picture of my own that might interest you..."

She flicked through the album again, stopping on the last page. "This is a picture of myself and the girl that saved me, the girl I was just telling you about. This was when she graduated from Hogwarts, And I was 13." She slid the album onto his lap once more, and Scorpius' breath caught in his throat.

It was a Wizarding picture this time, showing two girls smiling happily at the camera in what looked like the Great hall. The first girl was obviously Professor Todd, looking much healthier and older than she did in the first photo. Her hair was longer, and her bright smile made her look much prettier. But it was the girl next to her that made Scorpius stop. Breathtakingly beautiful, with a smile that could melt planets. Long, chocolate brown ringlets, brilliant blue eyes, perfect figure.

"M-Mum..." He looked over at his Professor and she smiled cheerily. "Yep. Turns out that Astoria, the beautiful and charming girl who had saved me, had ended up marrying the exact man she had told me about. Draco Malfoy, heir to the third largest fortune in Britain,  _ex-_ Death Eater," he noticed she put extra accentuation on the 'ex-', "and now Head Healer at St Mungo's. Malfoy isn't exactly a common name, and you really are the image of your father, so I can't imagine I had the wrong couple."

Scorpius would have cried had it not been a teacher with him, but from the look on her face, she understood. Getting up, she said, "Now, I think you had better follow in my footsteps and actually eat something, otherwise Rose and Albus might lynch me for not telling you otherwise. I also recommend you go and see Madam Patil, as I'm not sure how much good that potion will do for a possible concussion..." Nodding, he got up, thanking her again.

"No need to thank me, my dear. You just seemed like someone in need of saving."

After collecting up his books and making his way to the door, he stood in the door frame for a moment before turning back to her. He smiled again, but this time it was his real smile, the one that showed all his teeth.

"You know Miss, I don't really mind if you're a Muggleborn. Neither does my dad. You're a really great witch anyway." With a last thought he added "Merry Christmas!" before making his way out of the dungeons, leaving the woman sighing and wondering how a kid like that could have ever had a bad day in his life.


	9. The One Where James Fancies Mrs Malfoy

The day had finally come to go home for Christmas, and although he would miss Rose and Albus a lot, he was glad to be finally seeing his parents again. The train ride back to King's Cross was... Memorable to say the least. James and Fred had taken it upon themselves to give the three First years their own personal Christmas-themed firework display in their compartment, Rose and Albus kept scolding Scorpius for getting the nice flavoured beans from a Bertie Bott's box, and the blonde received a mysterious package from the other side of the train which, to his delight, held three large bars of Honeyduke's chocolate and a massive bag of large, chocolate chip cookies.

The three friends stepped off the train, followed by Fred and James, happily talking amongst themselves. Looking around for his parents, Fred's eyes suddenly shone with glee. He nudged James and pointed to something over the crowd which, due to his height, Scorpius didn't see. James let out a low wolf-whistle. "Okay... She is  _fit_... Not usually one for brunettes but  _damn_. I haven't seen her before. She must be a first-year mum." Scorpius couldn't see who they were looking at, but he had a pretty good idea. Rolling his eyes, he turned to smile sweetly at James and Fred. "Can I see? I'm not very tall so I can't see over the crowd..." Looking slightly amused, James nodded. "Sure mate, I didn't think that you'd be into the ladies at this age though, Scorp..." Winking, the taller boy lifted Scorpius up so he could see over peoples' heads, and the blonde chuckled. He was right. "See the one with the brown curly hair? With the great arse? Just wait till she turns around and- hang on" a moment later, Astoria Malfoy had turned, smiling, to look at her husband, who now had Scorpius' things with him, and give him a kiss on the cheek. Scorpius smirked as he felt James' hands tremble, "That's-" Scorpius' parents turned, grinning, to look at their son. Scorpius grinned and waved at them. "Thanks for finding my parents, guys. That would have been difficult for me over this crowd." James put him down and looked at Fred in horror before clearing his throat. "I-I think Fred and I had better walk you over there, y'know? In case you get lost in the crowd." Chuckling, the blonde nodded, turning to look at Albus and Rose. "Can we meet your parents too, Scorp?" Albus grinned excitedly, grabbing Rose's wrist. "U-um... I f you want...?"

The five of them made their way over to Scorpius' parents, both of whom smiled warmly as their son ran over to hug them. James was the first to step forward, his hand out to shake, Fred not far behind in seconding the movement. "Pleasure to meet you! James Potter," "and Fred Weasley. We have made it our duty to protect your son through the great crowds of King's Cross Station." They were looking more at his mother, but his Father was the first to reply. Chuckling, the older man shook both their hands. Astoria was not far behind in doing the same (Scorpius laughed to himself when the two boys decided to take it a step further by kissing her hand when they took it, making her laugh lightly). His dad didn't seem to mind,"Well, thank you, boys. It's a pleasure to meet you two as well. The both of you really are very similar to the Original Weasley twins." Grinning, the two of them must have taken this as a great compliment. Scorpius knew that Fred's dad and his late twin brother had started the very popular Weasley's Wizard Wheezes store in Diagon Alley.

Next to step forward was Albus, and a rather hesitant looking Rose. His parents' smiles warmed even more, if possible, when they saw his two best friends. His mother spoke next, "And you must be Rose and Albus," the two, looking surprised, nodded, "We've heard a lot about you. Just be aware you are welcome to stay over whenever you want during the holidays, okay?" She grinned, and Draco smiled, nodding as he put an arm around his wife's waist, "That's right. Any friend of Scorpius is our family." Scorpius smiled at his friends, all of whom looked rather surprised at his family's reactions to them. "Ahh," Draco's voice had sunk slightly, a frown forming on his handsome face, "I believe that is our queue to go home, don't you think?" Following his father's eyes, the young blonde swallowed. The man who he knew to be Rose's father was looking over at them, a scowl on his face. His four friends nodded, grimacing. Rose sighed, "Unfortunately, yes." She turned, hugging Scorpius tightly around the neck, making him blush. As he hugged back, he looked up to see Fred, James, Albus and his father smirking at him. Albus even had the nerve to wink. After he had said good bye to the others, his mother rolling her eyes at his refusal to hug Albus, muttering what sounded suspiciously like  _'men'._ Waving to them all again, they made their way to fireplaces along the platform and Floo'd back to their home.  _  
_

* * *

Christmas in the Malfoy household, when Draco had been living with his parents, was never very eventful. They would quietly eat dinner and open presents like it was nothing special. Now, however, Draco wanted Scorpius to have the childhood he never had. In the days leading up to Christmas, the three of them would play in the snow, seeing as it was very thick up in the North of England where they lived. They would bake cakes and mice pies, as his mother had point blank refused to employ any house-elves, and his father had happily moved them all to be living at Hogwarts.

Christmas eve came along and Scorpius was sitting happily by the fire and reading, while his parents cooked in the kitchen. His father's voice cut through his thoughts, "Scorpius? There are a couple of owls here for you." Putting his book down and getting up, he walked into the kitchen and quickly over to the door. Opening the top half, he let the two owls perch on the wood. One was a large, slightly threatening looking eagle owl, and the other was, as he quickly realised, Aria. Quickly detaching the packages from the owl's legs, he gave them both a treat at allowed the former to fly home. He had sent Aria off to Albus' house, as he knew Rose would be staying there with her family, with both their presents. Opening the letter, he noted Rose's curly handwriting, and smiled at the thought of Albus asking Rose to write the letter for them both. Albus' messy scrawl was hardly legible.

" _Merry Christmas Eve, Scorpius!_

_Don't open the packages yet, those are for you to open of Christmas day!_

_I hope you're having a good Holiday, I heard the snow is great up in Durham, so you must be having a blast! It's really busy down here in the Potter household, especially seeing as all the Potter-Weasley clan are here, not to mention Uncle Neville's family and Aunt Luna's are here, so count yourself lucky you get some peace and quiet! Also count yourself lucky you don't have an annoying 8 year old brother who keeps messing with your stuff! Damn Hugo keeps asking who you are. The only funny part about it is the fact that he keeps asking Dad if you're my boyfriend. Dad just sulks and his ears go all red, it's hilarious._

_By the way, my dad wasn't massively angry about what happened at the Station, at least not after Fred and James explained how lovely your parents were. I just think that he holds a bit of a grudge against your Dad. James might have a little crush on your mum, by the way. He denies it, but he blushes every time we mention her. Honestly, Albus walked up behind him and whispered 'Mrs Malfoy' in his ear and he started spluttering and blushing._

_I hope you have a lovely Christmas, thanks for your presents!_

_Love, Rose x"_

Scorpius chuckled slightly throughout the letter, only stopping to frown at the part about the incident at the station, and to roll his eyes at James' reaction to his mother. Standing up straight, Scorpius jumped when he realised his father was standing right behind him. "Who's that from? Your girlfriend~?" The youngest Malfoy felt the heat rise to his face, "sh-she is not my girlfriend!" His father raised his eyebrows, amused, "But you like her."

The small boy paused for a moment, "n-no!" His face was still burning as his mother and father shared a look of amusement between them. The song changed on the radio, and Scorpius' father grinned, "Aha!". He quickly pulled Astoria to his chest and started to slowly dance with her, making Scorpius chuckle. The brunette laughed lightly, dancing with her husband, "They played this at our wedding. You pulled me onto the dancefloor so fast I nearly spilled my Champagne." The older blonde grinned at her, nuzzling his face into her neck, "I'm better than Champagne, my darling" Scorpius left the room as they kissed, leaving them to enjoy their dance. He didn't want to invade their privacy by staying there. The couple continues to sway around the room happily, Astoria resting her head against her husband's chest. "You always were an exquisite dancer, Draco," she smiled up at him, "My mother taught me well", he replied as he began to slowly sing along to the slow tune.

Retaking his place by the fire and smiling slightly at his mother's laughter, he picked up his copy of  _Romeo & Juliet _once more.


	10. The One With The Weasley Jumper

Scorpius was buzzing. It was Christmas morning, and he was sitting in bed, wide awake. He glanced at the clock. 7:45. He wasn't allowed into his parents' room until 8:30, and he was becoming impatient. Usually he would just fall back asleep, not being as Rose called, 'a morning person', but he just couldn't sleep in all of his excitement. Sighing, he picked up his book off his bedside table, and began to read.

One reason why he was excited about getting up was the fact that he would be getting his 12th birthday presents as well. His Birthday was on the 9th of November, so he hadn't been able to celebrate with them. He felt bad for not telling Albus or Rose when his birthday was, but in the haze of schoolwork, he actually forgot himself. Another reason he was excited was the thought of getting a letter from his friends again. He had spent a while picking out presents, his father had even taken him out to Muggle London to get them. Scorpius always ended up laughing at his father when they went shopping together without his mother, mostly because no matter what shop they were in, his father refused to ask for help unless it was a male clerk. And when Draco finally did end up asking a female assistant about something, he always had to slip in something about his wife to get the woman off his back.

Scorpius couldn't help but notice his father's discouragement of flirting. His mother always said that his father was a bit of a lady's-man when he was younger, almost constantly flirting with any (pureblood,  _of course_ ) girl that would come his way. But now that he was happily married with a son, he was content, and never flirted with anyone unless it was to tease Astoria.

Scorpius continued reading for a while, feeling content. His family had a wide range of both muggle and Wizarding literature for him to choose from, so he always had something to read. Checking the clock again, he saw that it read 8:28 and grinned. Placing down his book and pulling on his dressing gown, he ran into his parents' bedroom, pouting at their sleeping forms. Walking over to his father's side of the bed, he nudged him awake. "Dad. Daaad."

His father groaned, his hair sticking in all directions. "Just five more minutes, sweetheart... Daddy's very tired." The older blonde reached out and gently patted his son on the head before falling back into what Scorpius knew to be a deep slumber. Sighing, he turned and walked round to his mother's side of the bed. She was very unlike Scorpius and his father when it came to getting up. Nudging her shoulder gently, he mumbled a quiet "It's Christmas day" and his mother's eyes shot open. Sitting up, she grinned at her son and kissed him on the head. "Merry Christmas dear. Draco. DRACO. Wake up you lazy-" grabbing a pillow, the brunette turned to the sleeping form of her husband and brought it down hard upon his head. The two waited a moment before a gentle whine came from the large bundle of blankets his father had become. "Don't make me smother you. Now get up. I want you awake before I come back up to this room with coffee or so help me god." Grinning at her son, she mumbled "Make his life hell" and got up, walking out of the room after grabbing her dressing gown.

Scorpius turned back to his father, who had now turned over to face him with a deep frown, "Please don't make me get up..." The young blonde grinned. "Sorry dad~" he got into the bed and crawled over to his father, cuddling up in the blankets. Sighing, and probably not wanting to get on the bad side of his wife this time of the morning, the older man grudgingly sat up.

"That's my boy. Didn't even have to threaten him. Very civilised son, I have." The two blondes turned back to the door way to see a grinning Astoria, holding a tray with three mugs on it. Draco quickly stood up, taking the tray from her and putting it on the bedside table before turning back to his wife to peck her softly on the lips. "Good morning, Oh beautiful bringer of Coffee~"

The brunette rolled her eyes as her husband made his way back to the tray, grabbing the steaming black coffee from it and drinking half of it in one. "I should have known. My husband is more in love with coffee than he is with me." She grinned at Scorpius, who was laughing quietly at the two's exchange. "Draco, dear. The gift." Looking up from his coffee, Scorpius' father blinked and smiled, "One moment", he put the mug down and knelt by the bed, pulling something out from under it. "Obviously its rather late, but Happy Birthday, Scorpius."

His father stood up with the item, and Scorpius' breath caught in his throat. It was a broomstick. But not just any broomstick, the exact one he had fallen in love with when he saw it in Diagon Alley the previous week with his father. It was smooth, sleek, graceful. At the top of the handle it read, in clear, bright blue letters,  _Skios._

It was the best broom on the market, having overtaken the Firebolt 360, and Scorpius was breathless. He turned back to his smiling mother, who was happily sipping her tea, and back to his father, who was grinning at him. "Are you going to accept your gift or just stare at it..?" Nodding slowly, he took the broom from his father's hands and stared at it in awe. He never recalled actually saying thank you, but his parents understood he meant it.

* * *

After he had happily spouted on about the Specifications of his new broom, in between sips of his hot chocolate to his (very tolerant) parents, he had left it gently on his bed to go downstairs and open the rest of his presents.

Running into the room, he grinned at the massive piles of presents underneath the tree, he quickly pulled ones out for both of his parents as they sat down, and grabbed one for himself.

By the time the ritual of present opening had almost ended, Scorpius had found himself with several new books, some new clothes, an actually decent set of dress robes from his grandparents (which surprised them all) and a new set of seeds and potions ingredients for him to work with. Next to open was the packages from Rose and Albus. His parents had gotten up to make breakfast, so he was left alone. He opened the smaller one first, and frowned at the small white box in front of him. He opened the note that Rose had left him.

" _This is a muggle device that plays music. We saw you frowning at Albus' on the train and you seemed pretty mesmerised by it, so we decided to put our money together to get you one. We put some music we thought you might like on it, and you already know how to use it, so I hope it's okay!"_

The blonde gasped as he opened the small plastic box, pulling the small 'electrical' item from it. He let the cool metal slide against his hand, and he grinned. He was pretty confused by them at first.

_The three sat happily talking on the train back home, laughing amongst themselves before Albus announced that he needed to listen to a song to get it out of his head. Scorpius frowned, not understanding the reference and looked downright confused when Albus pulled a small device from his bag. Rose turned to him, "You've never seen one before? Hang on." She took the small thing from Albus' hands and held it in front of both her and Scorpius, showing the blonde how it worked. Taking the 'earphones' as Rose called them, she placed one in each of Scorpius' ears, and pressed a button._

_Scorpius had never been so mesmerised in his entire life, he was so amazed and confused at the same time about this strange object, and his two friends couldn't help but laugh at his reaction._

He grinned to himself, turning to open the next present. This one was much larger, and he couldn't help but wonder who it was from. Rose's writing was on the label, but she and Albus had already given them a present, hadn't they? Opening the gift, he blushed deeply. There was a large box of what looked to be homemade fudge and a  _very_  homemade jumper. Holding it up, he examined it happily. It was a bright blue, and there was a large, grey 'S' in the middle of it. Checking the Note inside the package, he grinned.

_"That's right. You've got a Weasley jumper. No backing out now. Nan makes these for all of us and our friends, and I think after all the stories she's heard about you, I think she felt she had to make you one of our own. Uncle Harry got one of these in his first year too, so don't feel special! Dad also said that your dad will have a heart attack when he finds out his only son is wearing this._

_Hope you like it!"_

Scorpius laughed a little at the letter, "Hey, dad."

He heard his father put down whatever he was holding and make his way into the living room. "Yeah? What are you laughing about- oh god. Oh merlin you can't be serious." His father had walked into the room and straight out again, making Scorpius double over with laughter. "Draco? What's the matter?"

"Nothing dear, I'm just going to drown myself in the bath." Scorpius' mother frowned as she walked in, and then made a quiet 'ah' sound, smiling and walking back into the kitchen. "Oh, come now Draco. Its not that bad. Just a Weasley jumper." Scorpius heard his father groan from somewhere in the house and smiled, pulling it on and walking into the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roll! Three chapters in one day! Aren't you all proud?! This is just a little Christmas filler~
> 
> THIS WAS MEANT TO BE A FILLER HOW DID I WRITE THIS MUCH. WHAT IS AIR.
> 
> Anyway, how'd you like it? I've been getting some awesome reviews from all of you, so I hope this is okay!
> 
> *slow chant* Weasley Jumper, Weasley Jumper, Weasley Jumper...


	11. The One With Teddy's Girlfriend

The rest of December followed without incident, the three friends continuing to exchange letters (and gifts, considering it was Albus' Birthday on the 27th), only stopping when Scorpius was forced into a visit to his grandparents' house. It wasn't that he didn't like his grandparents, it was more their opinions that made him uncomfortable. Scorpius' father had warned him not to send letters to his two friends while they were there, as it would be a tad difficult to explain who his friends were to his rather ... 'Old fashioned' grandparents. The events that ensued at the large manor house were not exactly to Scorpius' liking, and he was not looking forward to withholding the information from Rose and Albus, who would already be frustrated with him for not disclosing the date of his birthday.

The 9th of January arrived, and Scorpius finally found himself at ease with himself again. He was going back to Hogwarts, and while it meant the ache of having to avoid his once-beloved cousin, it also meant seeing his two best friends again. With everything packed, he was hardly able to get to sleep, his nervousness and excitement buzzing around him. Then again, he could also say that his parents raised voices from downstairs kept him up as well...

_"For the last time, Astoria, I'm telling you, I don't want him seeing Marc that often! I know something's wrong between them!"_

_"I know, Draco, but he is my nephew! I can't simply stop communicating with my only sister because there's some friction between our sons! You know I can't do that."_

_A sigh. "I know, I know, but is can't help feeling that the way they were acting around each other looked so... Out of place. The way Marc was looking at Scorpius... It almost reminded me of..."_

_"Yourself, I know. But we can't know for sure. That's why you asked Neville to look after him, right? To make sure he's out of trouble."_

_"Yes, but Longbottom can only do so much! What if he overlooks something? Misinterprets something? What if-"_

_"Draco, please. I know you're worried, but we can't protect Scorpius from everything. You tried to shelter him so much that I'm afraid it's doing more harm than good. You say you don't want him to turn out like you, but what good can come of constantly pulling him back while he's growing up? We need to let him make his own choices. You said it yourself."_

_"You did the right thing, letting him make friends with who he wanted to. I'm proud."_

_"Seeing Weasley in the train station... It made me sick. I hate him so much, I can't even stay in the same room as him without thinking about punching him in the face. And to think His daughter..."_

_"I know you're not fond of the idea, but at least Potter and Weasley's kids are treating Scorpius well. We couldn't have asked for more."_

_"I know. I know."_

Scorpius had stopped listening after that. He couldn't bare thinking about it. He had pushed all the negative thoughts he had in his mind after that argument out of his head the second after they had made their way in. He couldn't afford to keep them. Now, making his way towards the Hogwarts Express, he understood what they meant. This is what adults did. They grew up. And somehow, he wasn't entirely sure, but he realised this was for the best. His parents still loved each other, and he had them both.

He scanned the crowd, trying to search out a flash of red hair or a wave directed at him, with no avail. Sighing, he hugged and kissed both his parents goodbye, smiling slightly at them, and quickly jumped on the train. He rushed past the carriage which he knew held his cousin, hoping to avoid him, but it seemed luck was not on Scorpius' side.

"Hey! Blood Traitor!" He flinched. Please no... "Oi! Aren't you going to answer me, runt? Turn and face me." Slowly, Scorpius turned to face Marc, his body trembling. Marc snickered. "Scared, are we? Well you should be." The taller boy stepped forward, grabbing Scorpius by the front of his collar. "You should be bloody terrified you little blood-"

"Hey!"

The two boys look up, Scorpius turning behind him to view his saviour. She can't have been older than 13, although her height could have fooled Scorpius. Long, shiny dark brown hair fell to her waist, and her sparkling, ice blue eyes (quite appropriately) held no immediate warmth. She was glaring at them both, her rounded pink lips curled in a snarl. When she spoke, Scorpius was surprised to hear a soft French accent lace her voice as turned to Marc.

"Would you mind not using that phrase around me, please? It's disgusting. And also-" she turned to look at Scorpius, "learn to defend yourself. Your inability to throw a punch pisses me off. Now both of you get out of my sight, and grow up."

That's when Scorpius heard the other voice from the compartment. "Mon dieu, Dominique, stop being so harsh. They're children." Dominique glared at the source, "Oui, and they're acting like it." A chuckle. A rustle and a slow tap of footsteps, and the other girl stepped out of the compartment. Scorpius frowned slightly in recognition, but did not address it. Tumbling white-blonde curls pulled behind her head, the same ice-blue eyes, yet there was a somewhat warmer feel to them. She sighed. "You're both too young to be fighting. And such a cruel phrase to call someone, Oui? Now let go." Marc growled, not liking the patronisation aimed at him, and let go of Scorpius' shirt, allowing him to fall to the ground. Wincing, Scorpius got back up as he watched Marc stalk away, and turned to the two girls. "Th-th-thank you..." Damn stutter... Making me sound stupid... Dominique rolled her eyes before making a _tsch_ sound and walking back into the compartment, but the blonde stayed behind. She smiled, chuckling slightly. "I apologise for my sister... She is not exactly the most eloquent of people... And it doesn't help when that awful phrase is used. It's been used against us Weasleys before." Her smile fades slightly as Scorpius frowns slightly, "Weasleys? You're related to Rose and Albus?" "Ah, you must be their new friend. They were talking about you all Christmas. But yes, I'm Victoire and that was Dominique, as you probably heard. Now, _you_..."

Scorpius chewed his lip, dreading the next words. "Aren't you related to Teddy Lupin somehow?" A lightbulb practically flashed above Scorpius' head as he gasped in realisation. "You're his girlfriend aren't you?! You came with him to Christmas dinner a few years ago!" Hardly anyone knew of his (somewhat) close relation to Teddy Lupin, and it was actually quite nice to meet someone who did. Victoire chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Oui. You are... Cousins, yes?" "Well... Second cousins, but yeah! He used to come over a lot but he doesn't that much anymore because of work and stuff..." "Oui, he has been quite busy... Well, it was nice seeing you again. And, if you are still looking for Rose and Albus' compartment, it's on the next carriage."

* * *

 

_Let me tell you a story. Nymphadora Tonks was the only other child born to the Black Family, other than Draco, but since her mother had married a muggle born, she was ostracised. After her death, however, her son was set to be an excellent asset into the Malfoy household. While Lucius Malfoy refused to acknowledge the boy, Narcissa Malfoy was seen to hold a fondness towards Teddy. While he did not spend all of his time with the Malfoys, it was obvious that a 'pure blood' level connection held strong to the family bonds. His grandmother, Andromeda, cared for him until Harry Potter, the boy's Godfather, could take hold full responsibility for a child._

_If you were to look at all of this from Teddy's point of view, it surely would have been very confusing. Especially seeing as he never totally saw Potter as a father, even to this day. He could even tell you that out of all the people he met as a child, his 'Uncle Draco' was the one he most wanted to be his father. Having hung around on the latter's leg for the first 5 years of his life, this wasn't exactly a mystery. So, after much deliberation, Potter allowed Teddy to stay in contact with the Malfoys. This would continue on for another 7 or so years, until one day, not so long after Teddy turned 13, all communication would stop. There were letters, cards and presents sent to him but, unfortunately, no return._

_The Malfoy family would later find out that this sudden silence happened just a few weeks after Potter had told Teddy about the war. The war in which his parents died, in which the Malfoys oh so awfully betrayed them. Teddy had heard one side of the story, and had stopped talking._

_It would so happen that Teddy ended up talking to the Malfoys again. It was 3 years later, admittedly, but he returned. He asked of them to explain their side of the war, and that they did. Once they had finished, he had left without another word, satisfied. Being that he was a 16 year old, they were totally unaware of what to expect of the boy._

_He came to Christmas dinner the following December, with his (apparently "secret") girlfriend on his arm. The first thing he had said was her name. Victoire Weasley. She looked terrified, the poor girl, but somewhat surprised when a 9 year old Scorpius happily walked up to her and shook her hand, followed closely by his parents. It was pleasant, refined, all awkwardness of family conflict washed away, probably due to the absence of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy._

_Teddy Lupin does not frequently visit the Malfoys, not that he did after that visit, but he kept in contact. He apologises in every letter. Funny, isn't it, reader? How hearing the other side to a story can change someone?_

* * *

 As Scorpius sat in the compartment, chatting avidly to Rose and Albus, he thought about his cousin, and how quickly he had returned and apologised. Scorpius' father had referred to it as _maturing_ and the small blonde smiled slightly at the thought. Maybe one day Marc would 'mature' as well.

* * *

The next morning began the same way as all his other days at Hogwarts did.

Albus nearly crushing him with a stack of books in order to wake him up.

Albus nearly deafening him while telling him how late they were going to be.

Albus nearly giving him a concussion as he tripped him up three times while Scorpius was trying to get dressed.

Albus nearly killing him as he pushed him down the stairs from their dormitory.

Rose then telling Albus off for annoying Scorpius, And then Rose telling Scorpius off for making them all late.

 _Just_ an average day.

Sighing, Scorpius stuffed the remainder of his breakfast into his mouth as they made their way to Charms, stifling his yawns. (Albus glared at Scorpius every time he yawned, saying that he always got too much sleep and he needn't be the one yawning.)

Scorpius never really said anything anymore in Charms, he just did what he was told and hoped for a little recognition. He was trying, however, to get his grades back up to their usual high standard.His talk with Professor Todd had definitely encouraged his sudden enthusiasm, but he couldn't help feeling that with Marc's now near-constant bullying, he still couldn't reach his full standard.

He could tell that his two friends felt bad about it, there was nothing they could do to stop Marc and since they had even lower grades than Scorpius when he was at his lowest. Fred and James were also trying hard to cheer them up, but they all had to admit the two boys did a good job of it. Random firework displays, sending them small things from Zonko's and even playing the occasional prank on Marc. The months were going slowly, however. And with Rose's mother already telling them to revise for end of year exams, they were not going to be fun ones.

Then again, it could be said that a certain letter from his mother and father changed the mood slightly, but not necessarily for the better.


	12. The One With The Happy Letter That Has Sad Connotations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise in advance for this chapter.
> 
> I'm just going to give a trigger warning now for mentions of infant fatality and miscarriages. So please, once again, I apologise.
> 
> Writing this hurt a lot.

_The months were going slowly, however. And with Rose's mother already telling them to revise for end of year exams, they were not going to be fun ones._

_Then again, it could be said that a certain letter from his mother and father changed the mood slightly, but not necessarily for the better._

* * *

It was mid-March, and people were receiving letters from their parents, all containing large boxes of chocolate and sweets. Scorpius noticed, with a chuckle, that many of the Weasley family (namely the girls) were pushing some of the chocolate they had (obviously) received from their grandmother towards their friends and male relatives. Rose had even pushed one of her many chocolate eggs towards Albus, saying that she didn't want to 'put on weight'. Scorpius had actually been about to say that Rose looked fine as she was, and she needn't worry about weight gain, before his family owl had landed in front of him.

Smiling at the owl, he gently pulled away the package and the letter attached and watched it fly away with the others. Scorpius opened the letter slowly and quietly read through it.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_First of all, Happy Easter. We enclosed homemade chocolate for your friends as well, we hope they'll like it._

_We also have some exciting news. We are very happy to tell you that your mother is just over 3 months pregnant. We will update you further in the coming months, but we thought you would like to know. Please try not to tell many people about it, only tell close friends. We don't mind who though._

_We love you very much,_

_Your Mother and Father_

Scorpius' breath caught in his throat. Rereading the letter a few more times, he chewed his lip, turning to his two friends. Albus and Rose looked at him, confused, before he handed them the letter. As the blonde expected they both gasped, grinning over at him. Rose laughed slightly, "Scorpius this is great! We were getting so worried, we thought something was wrong! Why do you look so upset?"

It was a Sunday, so Scorpius did not hesitate to grab the two of them and pull them out of the great hall and into the library. Once he was sure that no one was listening, he turned to them.

"Scorpius, what on earth is all of this about? Your mum's pregnant!"

"Yeah, mate. Why aren't you happy?"

Sighing slightly, he slowly began to tell his story.

* * *

_Many people are totally unaware of the goings-on in the Malfoy family, and it's obvious why. For decades, the Malfoys have tried to keep the horrors of their family a secret, and they're not the only ones. There is a reason why so many pure blood families have turned to or now accept breeding with half bloods, muggle borns or even muggles._

_Everyone makes the 'inbreeding' joke, don't they? The 'pedigree' jokes. But most of us didn't choose what happened, or what was brought upon us. The Black family were known for their exceptional, yet somewhat horrific, ability to inbreed._

_Due to the fact that Sirius and Regulus Black never attempted to have children, we'll never know how it turned out for them._

_However, their three cousins were perfect examples of the horrors of pure blood inbreeding._

_Bellatrix, the oldest of the three sisters, never seemed like one to get married. Throughout her school days she simply got on with her work and never got interested in the male population. She looked out for her younger sisters and was (quite believably) well known for scaring the absolute shit out of anyone who went near her. Her marriage to Rodolphus Lestrange was arranged the second she got out of Hogwarts. However, it was the children that posed the problem. Two miscarriages before she actually managed to give birth, yet even then it was unsuccessful. The child, a little boy, died three months later, due to being born extremely premature. After that, the couple never tried to have a child again, and everyone could see that Bellatrix was driven mad by it. Even now, her sisters say that it was the inability to have children that made her the harsh, cruel woman she became._

_Andromeda, the youngest child, was known for her almost unnatural kindness. Being very close to Sirius Black, and being the first Hufflepuff in the Black family for centuries, it was almost inevitable that she would end up being disowned for marrying Ted Tonks, a muggle born. However, she was also plagued by the same fate as Bellatrix. She had one miscarriage before she managed to give birth to Nymphadora, but after the girl was born premature, Andromeda swore she wasn't going to try and have any more, purely joyful she had managed to give life._

_Narcissa, the middle sister, was known for her almost terrifying beauty. She was intelligent, witty, and was very much able to get any man she wanted. One thing she saw as an advantage was her parents not choosing her a husband until she was out of school. This then meant that, if her boyfriend was a pure blood, they would be able to marry out of love. Given the fact that by the time she finished school she had been in a relationship with Lucius Malfoy for almost 3 years, there was no doubt in their minds that the wedding would go forward. However, there is always a down side. Being it that Lucius and Narcissa both came from pure blood families, both of which had a history of miscarriages and infant fatality, the pain that would follow this couples seems so very sadly appropriate._

_Narcissa was a great lover of children. She would never admit it, but she dreamed of having children and Lucius, genuinely loving Narcissa and understanding her wish, decided he would do whatever he could to grant it. Four miscarriages took place over 7 years, until they were finally able to give life to Draco, who was born surprisingly healthy. However, 5 years later, they tried for another baby. Just in case. Narcissa conceived, but ended up giving birth at 7 months. The baby, a little girl, was healthy, but only just. So many think that the young Aries Malfoy was killed by the fatal Pureblood curse, when in fact she was murdered at 6 years old by a gang of teenage muggles, looking for kicks. And people wonder why the Malfoys hated muggles so much._

_But now, the story has yet to end. Draco married Astoria, almost too aware of what might happen, but he still felt the need to try. They were lucky. Scorpius was born at 8 months on their first try. No one expected them to try again, not even Scorpius. But then again, reader, I guess there's always room for hope._

* * *

After Scorpius finished talking, a tear rolling down his cheek, he looked up and his friends. Albus, his face pale as he stared at the ground, remained silent. Rose, however, sniffed as she looked up at the blonde. "S-Scorpius... How did you find out about... All of that...?" He sighed, swallowing slightly before clearing his throat. "There was a book on our family history at my Grandparents' house. It magically updates every few years so that it's always accurate. I shouldn't have read it, but I did." His two friends stayed quiet, and Scorpius made to leave before Rose pulled him into a tight hug.

"They'll make it, Scorpius. Because you know, you can always find hope in the darkest of places."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone.
> 
> Once again, I am really sorry for the slightly depressing nature of this chapter. I can already tell that some people are going to get upset over this, and others are going to say it wasn't necessary.
> 
> I just think that, for starters, there needed to be a reason why
> 
> a)Bellatrix was so hostile, apart from the whole Voldemort thing
> 
> b)the three Black sisters didn't have anymore children, especially Andromeda
> 
> c)why the Malfoy family had such a particular hatred for muggles/muggleborns etc.
> 
> I'm very sorry, but I felt this backstory was necessary.


	13. The One With Fred And The Freckles

The remaining months before their final exams were, to put it into the eloquent words of Albus Potter, bloody  _awful_.

They had been pushed to their limit with revision, but luckily the three friends (and some of the older Weasleys) had agreed to tutor each other, thus taking most of the pressure off. So now, as Scorpius walked through the school halls on a hazy Saturday afternoon, he felt he could actually relax before his final exam on Monday. It was going to be his Potions and, as Rose and Albus had drained every inch of Potions knowledge out of him, he had been given a break from revision for the time being. The crickets chirped quietly against the silence, the sun beating down against the grass. Scorpius loved the sun, the way it gave a kind of warmth that gets you in the heart, the kind that shines through you and gives you hope. Although, Scorpius tended to avoid bright sunlight when he could, it wasn't anything bad but...

There was a laugh from behind him in the hallway. Loud. Clear. Scorpius jolted, but frowned slightly. It didn't sound like anything aimed at him... There was another blast of laughter, louder this time and, ... Were there two of them? He turned to look towards the end of the corridor, hoping to see the source of the sound. When he failed to, his curiosity getting the better of him, he followed it. He stepped slowly, hesitantly. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure what he was so interested in about this laughter, but it was something to do, so the least he could do was 'satisfy his curiosity in a non-destructive way', to express it in the bantering words of his father. There was chatter- okay, so there was definitely more than one person, maybe a third?- and Scorpius felt his pace quicken. Quickly turning the corner he- well, he couldn't have expected any _less._  Fred and James turned to look at him, grins forming on their faces that clearly read _you don't want to know what we're doing, but we all know you're going to ask anyway_. Deciding to give them the satisfaction, he relented.

"So, are you going to tell me what you're up to?" They chuckled, walking over to place their hands on Scorpius' shoulders.

"Scorpius, my dear boy, you may not be able to handle the truth. Do you think he can handle it, Jamesie?"

"Don't think he'll be able to, Freddie... Buuut we may as well tell him. He probably won't say anything."

"Very true, very true, Jamesie. Would you like to introduce him?"

"It would be my pleasure." James took his hand away from the blonde's shoulder, taking a step forward. "Look, mate. He's a friend. You can come out now."

Scorpius would have called James mad had it been for the fact a voice suddenly came from the walls, scaring the blonde more than he would have liked to admit. "I dunno, James. He seems pretty suspicious. If he's anything like that dad of his..." Fred sighed, "He's not. Give him a chance."

"If you're sure." Instantly, there was a figure walking out of the wall and next to James. Scorpius knew it was a ghost, he had seen the house ghosts before but, for some reason, this one seemed to look a lot like... "F-Fred?!"

Beside him, the auburn haired boy chuckled. "Well, I suppose you're  _sort of_  right, but I think you didn't mean to be." The ghost beside James smirked slightly at Fred. "Personally, I think you look more like George, but that's just personal opinion." He turned to Scorpius, "So you're Malfoy's son? You look loads like him. But... You're a Ravenclaw. And friends with the Weasleys. So I suppose you're okay." The ghost smiled, but it was hesitant. "It's a pleasure. Fred Weasley, Senior." Scorpius blinked, then felt his heart sink slightly. "Y-You're-" he felt a hand on his shoulder again. He looked up at James, who was looking down at him with a look that clearly read to Scorpius as _don't worry about it_.

The blonde sighed, then realised something. "Wait... Aren't- oh. Oh god." Scorpius scowled slightly to himself before looking up at the three of them, all of whom had guilty yet somewhat proud grins spread across their faces. Then, almost as if on cue, there was a anguished cry of "JAMES! FRED! YOU BASTARDS!" The blonde smirked, "Was that...?"

"Yep."

"Our  _darling_  cousin, Dominique."

"Do I even want to know?"

"Oh no you do not. Now, I think that's our cue to run, eh Freddie?"

"Definitely." And with that the two boys, with calls of goodbye thrown at Fred the First and Scorpius, ran off down the hall with wide smirks on their faces. Scorpius smiled at their retreating backs before stepping forward to leave.

"It wasn't your dad's fault, you know." Scorpius jumped, turning to the ethereal figure behind him. Fred was standing there, a pained expression on his face, "I mean, I hated the guy. But I'd never blame him for what happened to me." The blonde had to force himself to not tear up. "B-But... He was the bad guy, the villain, he was your enemy-"

"Kid... Scorpius, was it? There's something you need to remember. No matter how hard your dad could have tried- which he didn't, really, now that I think about it- he could have never been the villain. He was an idiot, I'm sure even he will admit that, and we all made mistakes in that war. Yes, he was my enemy, and I still hate him, but he didn't cause that explosion. He didn't tell You-Know-Who what to do, he followed orders and he didn't realise until too late that he had chosen the wrong side." Fred sighed, starting to walk back towards the wall. Before he stepped into it, he turned back to Scorpius. "He may have been a bad guy, but he wasn't _the_  bad guy. Don't beat yourself up about it, kid."

* * *

Scorpius stepped through the door into the Ravenclaw common room, only to be welcomed by Rose and Albus. "Scorpius! Where were you mate? We looked for you everywhere!" The blonde smiled, "Sorry Albus. I, uh... Ran into Fred and James. They were playing a prank on Dominique and I got dragged into it. I'm still not, uh, totally sure what happened to her." Rose rolled her eyes, "I was wondering why her hair was green. Then again, she deserved it. She said Alice was fat, so obviously those two had to unleash their wrath on her." Scorpius chuckled, "yeah, I suppose. Hey, I'm, uh... Going to get a bit of rest before I go down to dinner, okay?" His friends frowned, but didn't question it. "Okay, mate... Well, Rose and I will be down here..."

The blonde nodded, quickly running up the stairs and lying on his bed in the dormitory. Fred's words stuck in his head as Scorpius pressed his face into the pillow. He grinned, knowing that he was one person closer to redeeming himself. He was one step closer to happiness.

* * *

When he returned downstairs, now dressed more appropriately in a short sleeved shirt, Scorpius found Rose and Albus curled up quite comfortably on opposite sides of the common room sofa. They both looked up to smile at him, until Rose started giggling the second she saw the blonde.  
Scorpius frowned, "w-what?!"  
Albus began to laugh as well, "S-Scorpius! You didn't tell us you got _freckles_!"  
The blonde glanced down at him arms, pouting slightly at the sight of the freckles against his pale complexion. "It's my mum. She gets loads of freckles in the summer... It takes a lot for me to tan..."  
"We just thought that you didn't go out in the sun because of your hair or something!"  
Scorpius rolled his eyes, going back up to the dormitory to change.  
As he left, he heard Albus call after him, "No! Scorp! Come back! They're lovely, honestly!"  
Judging by the fact they were still laughing when he came back downstairs, Scorpius decided that despite the fact they came from a family of befreckled members, he'd probably have to keep his sleeves down from now on.

"Come on, show us again! We won't laugh!"  
"Yes you will!"  
And, as they wrestled him out of his jumper, Scorpius started to laugh as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK
> 
> LOOK GUYS
> 
> A HAPPY CHAPTER
> 
> WITH GHOST!FRED WEASLEY
> 
> AND FRECKLED!SCORPIUS
> 
> AND HAPPINESS
> 
> I WANTED TO CHEER YOU ALL UP AFTER THE LAST CHAPTER SO HERE YOU GO
> 
> I APOLOGISE FOR THE DELAY


	14. The One Where  Scorpius Has An Amusing Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! I'm back! I'm going to try and update weekly for you guys, as this is going to end up being a really long story!  
> Hope you like the chapter!

Once the stress of exams was finally over, Scorpius, Rose and Albus were finally free to stroll around the castle without having to worry about revision. It was a relief, to say the least, but it seems like the last thing Albus' mind was relaxing.

"Come ON, I just want to see what it's like! I heard dad talking about it! C'mon Rosie, just one little peak!"

"No, Albus. We are not going down to see the Chamber of Secrets."

Thankfully, Rose seemed to be winning the argument, so Scorpius felt he needn't intervene with the discussion.

"Hey, Scorpius-"

"No."

"Aww come on, mate! I heard its so cool down there."

Scorpius was not going to give in. "It's dark, cold and slimy. No."

"What about the giant Basilisk skin?" Scorpius paled slightly, eyes widening. "N-no thanks."

He had hoped neither of his friends noticed his quick change in demeanour, but unfortunately for him, Rose did. "Scorpius...? You look like death, what's- hang on." The blonde mentally prepared himself as Rose held back a small smile. "Scorpius... Are you...Scared of snakes...?"

Scorpius whined, "They freak me out, okay?! I just... Don't like the way they move..."

Albus burst out laughing, whereas Rose simply giggled hysterically.

"I never knew that, Scorp!"

"Merlin, you're worse than my dad with spiders!"

Scorpius pouted, crossing his arms and waiting for them to stop laughing. The blonde made a mental note that sharing was most definitely _not_ caring, sighing slightly at the lack of compassion his friends had. Rose was the first to stop, still catching a few extra chuckles on her breath. "S-sorry Scorpius... It's just rather ironic, isn't it? What with Slytherins being in your family for centuries... Isn't there a snake on the Malfoy coat of arms, too?" The blonde considered, "I suppose, but then again, my dad didn't seem to mind taking down all of the Slytherin tapestries around the house. My grandparents forced him to put them all up when he and mum moved in. He seemed pretty pleased to have an excuse to get rid of them all."

Albus wiped a tear from his eye, still giggling quietly to himself. "Just be glad we're not Fred and James, Scorp. Imagine the fun they'd have with that information." Rose rolled her eyes. "You had better not tell them, Al."

"I won't! I'm not that ba-" he cut himself off after Rose shot him a glare, fully aware that telling his brother and cousin about Scorpius' fear of snakes was _exactly_ the kind of thing he'd do. "Okay, okay, I promise I won't." Albus grinned at Rose before he turned to Scorpius, "So, no giant basilisk skin?"The blonde shook his head ferociously.

"Dammit. Maybe another time then."

* * *

Albus still never hesitated to making hissing noises behind Scorpius, _just_ in case his friend was lying. It was then obvious, from the fact that Scorpius nearly went into shock every time Albus did it, that he was most definitely _not_ lying. After many a scolding from Rose, the raven-haired boy reluctantly discontinued the teasing.

The Great Feast at the end of term was, as everyone had promised, exquisite. They all enjoyed themselves to a great extent, sharing the best stories of the year and the weirdest ones. Rose's Birthday had been in May, so they had all ended up having a small party for her with the rest of the Weasley family. Scorpius had hoped to Merlin that they wouldn't bring it up, but they did.

"And remember when James set off those fireworks at your party, Rosie?"  _Dammit, Albus._  "Yeah, that was great! I was a bit annoyed they brought up all that food from the kitchens, but it was really fun! Hey, Scorp-" The redhead paused. "Scorpius... When's your birthday...?"

The blonde flinched, he really wasn't looking forward to talking about this... "Erm... The, um. Ninth...of...November?"

Rose and Albus stared at him, "Scorpius! Why didn't you tell us?" In hindsight, Scorpius had expected his two friends to be more annoyed with him than they were, but then again, he would have been annoyed too. "I-I just... Didn't want you to worry about it... It wasn't that big..." Rose sighed, "Okay, we're sorry we got angry, but-"

"Just know you're going to get a massive birthday party when it's your 13th!" Rose pouted at being interrupted, but smiled and nodded her head at his words.

" _And_  we're gonna tell James and Fred about it."

"Be prepared, Scorpius."

* * *

James, Fred and Alice joined the three first years on the train ride home, Alice still looking particularly pleased every time she saw Dominique's still slightly-green hair. Scorpius had to admit he was excited about going home, as always, but there was something about the fact that he would get to see his mother and father in all their joy of the pregnancy. He was still anxious about the whole situation, but he had told himself that it would be more pleasant for both he and his parents if he tried to be happy.

The group stepped off the train, James once again helping Scorpius find his parents and insisting he should go with the blonde. Scorpius' mother was much bigger now, almost 7 months pregnant. He noticed that a number of the older Weasleys were looking over at them, discussing things between them. The younger blonde put it out of his mind as his friends chimed a chorus of 'Congratulations' at his parents. "Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl yet?" Albus said, eyes shining in glee at the couple. Draco smiled slightly, "Not yet, we're leaving it a surprise. The Malfoys have a reputation of always creating sons though, but we'll see."

The family were about to leave, as a woman who Scorpius immediately recognised as Rose's mother walked quickly towards them. "Ah, um. Good Afternoon, Mr Malfoy. And... Mrs Malfoy. I'm... You already know me. Hermione Weasley, Rose's Mother." She held a hesitant hand out to shake, and Scorpius' father took it almost immediately.

"Draco. Please... Call me Draco. This is my wife, Astoria. We've... Heard a lot." Scorpius' mother took the hand next, shaking it gently. "I don't think we've met, Mrs Weasley. It's a pleasure." She smiled warmly, making Mrs Weasley smile back slightly. "Hermione, _please_. I, um, just wanted to say Congratulations, and... If you ever need someone to look after Scorpius...  _We'd_  be happy to let him at our house." Scorpius noticed that the way she said We was somewhat pained, like it taken a lot to make it more of a couple's decision, than purely her's.

Draco smiled, his grip on his wife's waist tightening slightly. He took a deep breath. "That would be... Brilliant, actually. Thank you. It's much appreciated. Send my regards to Weasel-  _Your husband_." Mrs Weasley smiled knowingly. "He sent his regards to you, too."

"He called me a ferret, didn't he?" Scorpius' father rolled his eyes.

"Of course. Don't hesitate to Owl us if you need Scorpius to stay with us." She turned to walk away, taking Rose's hand.

"We won't. Thanks... Granger." There was a harsh, yet slightly familiar way in which he said her name. "No problem, Malfoy."


	15. The One Where Astoria Is Sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god  
> Trigger warning for reference to miscarriages (again)  
> I'm really sorry  
> (There's also mentions of blood)

The summer holidays were, to begin with, rather enjoyable. The weather had been beautiful, and Draco had taken Scorpius out a number of times to play around on their brooms. The exchange of letters between Scorpius and his two friends had not lessened in the slightest, and they consisted mainly of the two cousins complaining about their younger siblings, and saying how Scorpius had a tough road ahead of him, much to his amusement and slight worry.

The small blonde sat in the field behind the house, smiling slightly into the wind. The sun was beating down on his back as he ran his fingers through the emerald blades of grass surrounding him. He sighed slightly, breaking the silence that flowed through the air. The hazy August afternoon was perfect, and peaceful.

The only thing that could split the peacefulness, however, was the scream that spilled from the upstairs window of the house.

The boy jolted, the colour draining from his face as he sprinted towards the house, clambering upstairs to his mother. "Mum? _Mum?!_ " He came to the door of the bedroom, gasping at the sight of blood. His father was bent of his mother, ashen faced, holding her to his chest as she writhed beneath him. The blood covered her legs, tears rushing down her face as she looked at her son. Draco turned to him, face painted with a look that terrified the boy. "Scorpius. Go. Floo to the Weasleys- The Burrow. I'm taking your mother to St Mungo's. _Go!_ "

The boy choked, nodding towards his parents with insecurity before running, still able to hear his mothers cries before a crack alerted him of their Disapparation. Trying to build sense in his mind, he quickly ran to his bedroom and grabbed enough of his things for a few days, packed away in a backpack, before rushing downstairs and into the fireplace. Clearing his voice, he shouted his destination.

Only when he reached the Burrow did he allow himself to cry. Rose was the first to him, her voice fuzzy to him. "Scorpius? Scorpius?! What's wrong?! What's happened?"

"Mum- Blood. So much blood..." The blonde gagged on his words, tears streaming down his face. "St Mungo's."

Rose's mother had helped him up, saying something to her husband and Albus' dad. There was talking. Lots of talking, before a shout of 'St Mungo's!' Made him aware of their departure. He sobbed quietly into someone's shoulder as he sat on the sofa, unsure of who was still with him. As he looked up, he saw a number of familiar faces. Albus was there, as was James, along with two children, younger than he, watching him with confused and curious faces. Rose's mother shooed them away, sighing in frustration. "Lily, Hugo, _please_. We need privacy, okay kids?" They both whined, getting up and walking out of the room. The brunette chewed her lip, sitting down next to Scorpius and, as the blonde recently discovered, Rose. "Scorpius... You need to stay here for a few days, maybe a week, okay? We'll keep you updated on how your mother is doing, but for now... You just need to relax, okay? We'll make sure everything's okay."

Scorpius tried to relax, he really did, but as the next few days went by, his mother still in hospital and his father not leaving her side, it was hard to find peace in his heart. Everyone was being supportive, a number of the other Weasley cousins had come to the Burrow, like Fred and Victoire, even Alice came to see him. It was encouraging, to say the least.

* * *

 

It was Friday, three days after Scorpius arrived at the Weasleys'. He had hardly been able to focus on anything, not the homework that Rose encouraged he do with her to distract him from his situation, not the Quidditch game that Albus had tried to pull him into, not even the cookies that Albus' mother put out for him every day to cheer him up. Nothing.

Albus' father had tumbled out of the fireplace, rushing towards the group that had congregated in the living room, consisting of Scorpius, Rose and Albus, and the latters' mothers. Mr Potter swallowed, chewing his lip slightly before turning to Scorpius. "Your mother is going to have to be induced. She can't support the child." Scorpius whimpered, "b-but... She's only..." "Seven and a half months, I know."

"Will she be okay?" Mr Potter frowned to himself, avoiding Scorpius' gaze. "I... Don't know. Ron is over there now, your father is trying to find out as much as he can. I'm sorry."

The blonde stared at the floor, stunned. His mother may not make it through the childbirth, the baby... The baby may not either... Rose's father stepped through the fireplace, stony faced. "Malfoy wants to see his son." Everyone turned to Scorpius as he stood up, looking to the adults for support. Rose's mother stood too, taking his hand. "Come on, Scorpius. We'll go and see your parents."

* * *

 

St Mungo's was busy, bustling with bodies both well and ill. Scorpius heard Mrs Weasley ask at the front desk about his mother, but he heard no more. He tried to zone out from it, tried to block out the harrowing confusion that revolved around his brain...

He looked up as Mrs Weasley grabbed his hand, pulling him through the corridors of the hospital. Once they had made it to the room, Scorpius sniffed, attempting to keep his tears at bay, trying to stay strong as the clinical smell of the hospital invaded his senses. It was a large room, which had a large white curtain surrounding what he assumed to be his mother's bed. His father stepped from behind it, paler than normal, his thinning hair a mess. He looked and sounded like he hadn't slept his the boy had last seen him. "Scorpius?"

"D-dad?" The man rushed towards him, scooping the small boy up in his arms and giving a thankful nod to Hermione. He held his son tightly to his chest, kissing in his cheek and keeping him close. "Is mum going to be okay? Is the baby...?" Scorpius' voice came out as a harsh whisper, as did his father's. Cold. Lonely. "I-I don't know, Scorp. She's bad. Really bad." "Can I see her?" The boy pulled his head from his father's shoulder to look into the eyes of the older man. "Please?" He was begging, more so than he was requesting. Draco sighed, tugging his eyes away from his son's. "Okay."

He put Scorpius down, and the younger felt his legs almost give way beneath him as he stepped towards the curtain. He pulled on it slightly, giving him a path through, and once again had to keep from crying. His mother lay in the bed, skin more of a gray-ish colour than a white. There was no longer blood on her, but it was obvious how much she had lost. She already looked as if she had nothing left. She turned to her son, her eyes now a dull blue instead of the bright cerulean they used to be, her hair looked matted and no longer curled gracefully over her shoulders. She smiled, but it was only slightly. "Scorpius", her voice was quiet, still beautiful, yet so very fragile, "my sweet, sweet Scorpius..." He stepped towards her, taking her hand as it lay next to her on the sickly green bed cloths. It was cold and he almost felt afraid of breaking it in his grip.

She pulled him close to her, and smiled at him. It was brighter this time, like it used to be. "Stay strong for us, my darling. For all of us." Tears fell to Scorpius' cheeks as he nodded, turning to his father who looked on the verge of tears himself.

Suddenly, Astoria's face contorted in pain. She cried out, and several nurses ran to her side. Then there was blood again. Draco pulled him away, quickly giving him back to Mrs Weasley. "I'll call you, but please. _Take him away._ " Scorpius' father looked desperate as he pleaded to the woman before him, something his younger self would sneer at. Rose's mother nodded, her face pulled into an expression of both fear and regret as she rushed Scorpius out of the hospital room, crying for his parents.


	16. The One With The Secrets

Scorpius sat in the corner of the room, his knees brought up to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs, and his eyes staring blankly ahead. His friends has stopped trying to talk him out of his current state, fully aware that trying to talk to him would only make matters worse. He had hardly spoken, or eaten, since he had returned from the hospital an emotional wreck. He had clung to Rose and Albus, muttering meaningless words to them until they managed to get him into bed. Joining Scorpius, hardly anyone had been in a good mood the past few days, especially Rose's Mother. She too, after experiencing the sounds and sights of the hospital room, had been highly shaken, despite her inherent dislike for Draco.

It was Sunday, midday. Scorpius had still been in bed when Mrs Weasley had run into his room, brown eyes wide and her hair frizzier than normal. "Scorpius! Your father floo'ed me. He wants you at the hospital. Now." Her eyes read disbelief, shock and in all their haphazardness, Scorpius couldn't read the rest. Pulling on a set of clothes, his heart filled with dread. What if something had gone wrong? Would his mother still be okay?

Once again, he was pulled into the fireplace and through the bustling corridors of the hospital, hand grasped tightly by his beloved friend's mother. He looked up at her, filled with discomfort. "D-did my dad tell you what happened?"

"He said he'd rather tell you himself." That couldn't be good. Her voice sounded like it was hiding something from him, like she couldn't bring herself to explain even a section of what had happened to his family. She lead him towards the room Scorpius' mother had been in upon his last visit, but turned down another corridor before they could reach it, making the blonde frown.

The harsh white door that they were heading towards somehow looked more menacing with every step. Once they reached it, Rose's Mother turned to leave, Scorpius grabbing her sleeve. "W-where are you going?"

"I'll be back. Your father is in there."

His heart sank. Turning back to the door, he took a deep breath and slowly reached for the door handle. The cold metal against his palm burned him as he pushed it down and threw open the door. The room looked warmer than the last one, a gentle blue. There were nurses walking around the room, the clicks of their heels echoed about the walls. There was a rustle from behind the curtain that surrounded the bed that lay in the corner of the room.

Scorpius' father stepped out from behind it, looking more ill than the boy had ever seen him. His hair was sticking at all angles, the bags under his eyes had increased and his skin had paled to grey. He held his arms out, and Scorpius ran to him, throwing his arms around his father's neck. He nuzzled his face into the older man's neck, tears forming in his eyes, as Draco stood up and stepped behind the curtain with his son in his arms. Scorpius could hardly bring himself to look, lifting his head up and turning slightly against his father's chest, before his eyes widened in shock.

"Hi there, sweetheart~" his mother, though she still looked pale and weak, her hair still slightly matted and her eyes drowsy, was sitting up in the bed, smiling at him, holding a bundle of blankets in her arms and smiling softly at her son. Scorpius jumped down from his father and quickly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his own shaking with silent sobs. He blinked slightly, hardly able to take it in. "Y-you're... Okay."

"Well, I've just been in labour for almost two days, and had the pregnancy to end all pregnancies, but I'm okay." She chuckled, her cerulean orbs filled with joyful tears as they sparkled in front of him. She looked down at the bundle in her arms and, his curiosity getting the better of him, Scorpius followed. Upon further inspection, however, Scorpius realised with a gasp that there was not one, but _two_ bundles of the soft fabric.

" _Twins._ "

Draco stepped forward, chuckling slightly, "yes, and the first set of twins in the Malfoy family since the 1900s." Scorpius grinned, "what are their-"

"Pandora Aries Narcissa and Hades Abraxas Draconis. A boy and a girl." There was a swell of pride as his father spoke the names of his new siblings, smiling tiredly yet happily at his family.

* * *

 

Returning to the Burrow after his mother was discharged from the hospital was... Interesting, to say the least. Scorpius' father looked extremely uncomfortable with the whole situation, but was a gentleman enough to go to thank them. Once they reached the door, having it swung open by a quietly squealing Mrs Potter (who, if you listened closely, was actually crying out at a high level, ' _babies!_ '), they already were unprepared for what lay in store.

Rose and Albus' mothers were happily chatting to Scorpius', chiming their congratulations, and cooing lovingly at the two adorable children.

Draco stood awkwardly, thanking Misters Potter and Weasley for their support and for looking after Scorpius. Albus' father had smiled, if not slightly forced, and shook the blonde man's hand. It was quick, very sharp. Rose's father, however, had snorted, avoiding eye contact and not making the first move to shake hands. Scorpius' father seemed to have no objection to this, opting to sneer slightly and turn his head away from the redhead.

Scorpius, finally, was happy. As he sat with Albus and Rose, laughing about 'annoying' little brothers and 'clingy' little sisters, he was genuinely able to smile for the first time in a while.

* * *

He would _not_ , however, agree with this a few nights later when he was awoken by two sets of baby's cries, followed by a groan from his father (who, the ' _incredible husband_ ' that he is, agreed to always be the one to get up and look after the kids in the night, as Astoria was still ill. He regretted his decision after just 1 month) and a complaint about how 'Scorpius was never this bad! It must be your side of the family, Tori.' Chuckling, Scorpius lay back down in bed. This was going to be a long couple of years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not have told my boyfriend that Astoria would die in this chapter, but I've been laughing for about ten years.  
> Yay! Happiness and Twins! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! If you like my fanfiction, please follow me on tumblr for updates and my art~ :)  
> narwalish.tumblr.com


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